November Rain
by luvcali76
Summary: JH Post Season 8. A torrid encounter on Halloween night, 1984, leads ex couple Jackie and Hyde to spend the next month reevaluating their past. EPILOGUE UP.
1. Chapter 1

**NOVEMBER RAIN**

**Chapter 1: David Bowie and Three Double Shots of Tequila**

**A/N:** This story covers the entire month of November 1984, beginning with one scandalous Halloween night. Oh, and I wholeheartedly recommend going to Youtube and listening to the music I have included. It plays a huge part.

**Warning:** Some chapters contain smut.

Enjoy...

* * *

When I look into your eyes  
I can see a love restrained  
But darlin' when I hold you  
Don't you know I feel the same

- Guns 'n Roses

* * *

**October 31, 1984**

It was one of those nights, one of those 'giddy with anticipation', 'even the air smells different', cold Fall nights, and inside the Forman/Pinciotti apartment, Donna and Jackie were already bickering and mercilessly body checking each other in a fight over mirror space. Not surprisingly, the two old friends managed to turn their minor tussle into a battle of schoolyard proportions.

"Bitch!"

"Well, move your skinny ass out of my way then," Donna yelled, returning Jackie's pathetic nudge with a destabilizing shove.

"Hey! Fine," Jackie conceded as she steadied herself, not wanting to jinx the night before it even started. "We'll compromise. Now... How do I look?" She stood before the mirror with her hands on her hips in dramatic pose.

"The same. Why aren't you in your costume, yet?" Donna asked as she leaned forward to adjust her breasts, making them peek seductively above the apex of her silver sequence dress. "What did you finally decide on anyway?"

Gasping, Jackie clapped and bounced like a schoolgirl, excited to have someone_ finally_ ask about what, she was sure, would be the best couples costume at the whole party.

"Colin has it! He finally found the _perfect_ 'Rhett and Scarlett' costumes while he was in Green Bay! He's gonna meet me in the basement with them. So I'm just gonna have to change there, in Hyde's old room or something."

Her hair already curled to perfection, make-up expertly applied, perfume strategically sprayed, Jackie had nothing left to do but sit back and watch her redheaded friend finish prepping for the Queen Ann Haunted Ship Costume Party. None of the gang had ever been, probably because the tickets cost thirty-five dollars each and no one could afford to spend the money. But thankfully, for everyone, Jackie's boyfriend, Colin, could. He had surprised them all, purchasing ten tickets for Halloween night. There were five sets of tickets, one for each couple, since it was, most certainly, a 'couples only' party.

Attending was herself with Colin, Donna with Eric, Kelso with Brooke, Hyde with his girlfriend, Jessica, and then Fez with his new girlfriend, Amy. A costume was required to enter, prompting Hyde at one at one point to swear that he wasn't going, but his girlfriend had insisted and so, of course, he caved.

Jackie had smiled at the exchange, she liked to think that it was her who had made him a better man for this girl who obviously loved him to death. Maybe, Jackie thought to herself, it was her own relationship with him, along with time, that taught him how to correctly treat the object of his desire and _maybe_ she taught him that cheating and fucking around with strippers wasn't the most effective way to sort though his feelings for someone.

Hopefully.

Jackie giggled as she watched Donna prop up her breasts for the second time and strangely thought of Sam of all people. But, she wasn't bitter, angry or heartbroken, not anymore. Jackie was positive that she had long since found her peace with the situation. Just as everyone had predicted, including Hyde, time had worked its magic and her love for him had eventually subsided, settling quietly into memory.

And having met Colin, who loved her like crazy, hadn't hurt either.

Smiling, Jackie poked her oldest friend in the back. "Come on, Donna. Stop playing with your boobs! We've gotta go!"

* * *

Thirty minutes later. 6:22 p.m.

Walking up the driveway to the Forman house with Gilligan and Ginger (Otherwise known as Eric and Donna), Jackie was reminded that it was Fall, her favorite season. The air felt crisp as it entered her lungs, the wind smelled like turning leaves and chimney smoke, and her brown boots and cream cardigan sweater matched perfectly with the colors that painted the dark landscape around her. After all, she _was_ a "Fall" according to last month's Cosmo—the bible—and her brunette locks and warm skin tone always complimented the season's colors perfectly. So, it was only natural that this would be her time of year.

Jackie smiled at the thought. _My time._

With an extra bounce in her step, Jackie entered the Forman kitchen, already laced with everything having to do with Autumn - baked goods, Halloween decorations and warm smiles—well one warm smile anyway.

"Hi, Mrs. Forman," Jackie called out in her usual perky tone, offering the older woman a hug.

"Well, hello Jackie! I haven't seen you since ...gosh, since Eric's birthday party. That was two months ago."

"I know, I'm sorry. Things have been so busy at the station." Jackie turned to the other, slightly less enthusiastic, occupant of the room and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Hi, Mr. Forman."

"Darn, I knew it was getting too quiet around here," he said with a scowl that quickly turned into a smile. He couldn't help it; she had always been one of his favorites. Although, it wasn't like she had much competition. Next to the moron pretty boy, the creepy foreign kid, and Eric, Jackie was a breath of fresh, strawberry scented air. Plus, the girl could find a carburetor better than his own mechanic and that made her practically family.

Quickly stealing a pumpkin shaped cookie from the tray next to the stove, Jackie joined Eric and Donna down the steps into the basement. As they descended the staircase, the only two occupants of the room came into view, locked in a deep kiss against the back door. All three raised their eyebrows at the sight of Hyde's girlfriend pinned helplessly between him and the door... not that the girl was complaining.

"Get a room," Eric chided, taking a seat on the couch.

Hyde broke first from the kiss, allowing the strawberry blond to finally gather enough air to speak. "I really gotta go, baby," she said, out of breath and eagerly accepting another lingering kiss from Hyde.

He pulled away again and grinned.

"Yeah, okay. Call me later," he said, against her full lips. "I'll probably be at my place by then."

"Okay." One more peck and she was out the door. "Bye you guys! Have fun!"

Eric held his arms out in confusion. "Hey, where the hell's she going? We've gotta leave in like fifteen minutes."

"She can't freakin' go," Hyde complained gruffly, stepping away from the door. "She has to work. So I guess that means I can't go either." When he noticed Jackie, he walked toward her briskly and with a purpose. "Hey, does it _have_ to be couples? I mean, I can still get in by myself right?" It took her a moment to respond. They rarely spoke, so when they did, it always took her a second to adjust. It was as if a monkey had approached her at the zoo and asked for the time—it was just a little fucking weird. _Still._

"Oh, um. I don't know, lemme check," Jackie replied, searching through her purse.

While he waited for an answer from Jackie, Hyde watched Donna walk by and let his eyes follow her shapely curves as they moved beneath the glittered material of her dress. "Nice dress," he grinned.

"Thank you. Now takes your eyes off my ass before I poke them out with this heel," she quipped, flipping her foot back into the air to show him her intended weapon of choice.

Hyde quickly—and wisely—shifted his focus back over to Jackie as she pulled the tickets out of her purse, studying them. "Couples only," she read. "Must arrive in matching costumes."

Hyde scoffed his displeasure and sat down in his chair, folding his arms. "Whatever. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard... I didn't want to go anyway."

Jackie put the tickets back in her purse and took a seat on the lawn chair across from him. "Sorry, Hyde. I think it's because of the costume contest."

_Hyde_. That word, coming from _her_ lips, still made Hyde a little uneasy. She had been calling him that for over three years now and he _still_ hadn't gotten used it. It didn't flow naturally out of her mouth. It just seemed too... forced. But he knew it had helped her get over him, so he dealt with it and let her be.

Suddenly, a loud voice boomed through the room, startling everyone and breaking Hyde's concentration.

"Oh yeah! That's right! Everyone bow before the president and the first lady," Kelso shouted, bursting through the basement door with Brooke in tow. Everyone simply stared at him. "Don't you guys get it? I'm Ronald Reagan, and she's, she's," he took a thoughtful pause, a very long, thoughtful pause, _"Mrs. _Reagan."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Nancy! For the hundredth time."

Kelso's eyes widened in anger. "You said you were gonna stop calling me that!" he screeched before plopping himself down on the couch between Eric and Donna and folding his arms.

"No, you moron! That's her name: Nancy Reagan!"

"Oh," Kelso said, smiling sheepishly, before allowing his eyes to drift over toward Donna's cleavage. "Nice dress. Them jugs sure are a-poppin' tonight, jugs-a-poppin'!"

Hyde chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Literally."

Pinching Kelso's nipple between her fingers, Donna twisted mercilessly. "What a coincidence, so are yours, Mr. President," she said, using her best Marilyn Monroe impression.

Kelso yelped. "Ah! Ok! Ok!"

Donna stopped. But only a few minutes later, Kelso just couldn't help himself. "Could you do that again, that was _really_ hot."

"No!" She smacked his head, tipping his Ronald Reagan mask terribly askew. "Pig!"

"God, _Donna!_"

Everyone laughed as the phone rang, prompting Hyde to pick it up and chuckle out a happy "Hello?"

Jackie watched his eyes move toward the floor and then to her.

"It's your boyfriend," he simply said, holding out the phone.

Jackie quickly grabbed it from him. "Hey, baby, where are you?" The whole group watched her face fall while her small shoulders drooped in disappointment. "But.. Why can't he just... I know, but... What about all that money that you spent?... Mm-hm... But, baby, I was all excited... I can't... I don't have a costume and it's couples only." Jackie sighed. "Fine... When are you coming back?... Okay... I know... I love you, too... Yeah... Bye."

"Well, this is just great!" Jackie threw her complaint out there for someone to catch, Donna or Brooke most likely, but it was Hyde who took the bait.

"Lemme guess, Prince Charming's not coming," he said in his usual mocking tone, making Jackie wonder why he got such a kick out of making Colin look bad. Colin had been nothing but nice to her ex-boyfriend, but Hyde disliked him anyway, refusing to accept an outsider, or maybe it was just _that_ particular outsider who bothered him.

"_NO_," Jackie said, biting back, defending her man. "He has to work. He has a very important job."

"Yeah, and he's gotta keep you in those expensive shoes, too, right?"

Jackie held his gaze, refusing to bite back anymore. Her eyes never left his as she reached into her purse and pulled out all ten tickets. Hyde finally looked away. "Here, Donna, you guys have fun. Okay?"

Brooke frowned. "Jackie, we're not going without you."

The room went silent for a moment, making Fez's entrance that much louder. He stopped cold, instinctively aware that something was wrong. "What is going on? Did your mom run out of candy?" he accused, staring scornfully at Eric.

"No, man. It's all upstairs."

Fez exhaled and stepped all the way inside. "Okay, then."

Eric made a face. "Hey. Where's Amy? And where's your costume, man?"

"Oh, that is why I am here. I cannot go. Amy's sick."

Donna threw her hands up. "Well, this sucks! _No one_ is going, I'm dressed like a marooned Hollywood tramp and now Halloween is ruined."

Fez looked confused. "Who else isn't going?"

"Jackie, Colin, Hyde, Jessica, and now you and Amy. That just leaves us and Kelso and Brooke."

Fez, still looking rather confused, turned his attention to Hyde. "Why aren't you going?"

"Jessica has to work, and it's freakin' couples only."

Fez then turned to Jackie. "And you?"

"Cause Colin has to work and it's couples only. So if he doesn't go, I can't go, unless... _you_ wanna be my date?" Jackie asked with a small encouraging smile.

"I can't," he said matter-of-factly, criss-crossing his arms, pointing between her and her ex. "Why don't you and Hyde just go together?"

Everyone looked from person to person until finally Jackie and Hyde made eye contact and shrugged in unison, as if on cue. "Huh." Hyde spoke first. "Well, I don't see why not. I mean, it's just to get inside, right? Jess won't care about that... I don't think."

Jackie stuck out her bottom lip, intrigued. "Yeah." Then a thought occurred to her. "Wait, but we don't have costumes."

"Well, what were you and _Colin_ gonna be?" Hyde asked her.

"It doesn't even matter; he has the costumes." A moment later Jackie asked the next logical question. "What were _you_ and_ Jessica_ gonna be?"

"It doesn't matter; she has our costumes, and anyway, you wouldn't fit in hers. You're too short." Jackie sneered at him and he instantly responded. "What? You're like two inches shorter than she is. Plus, she's be pissed anyway if she knew you wore her costume."

"I didn't want to wear her skanky costume anyway!" Jackie snapped.

Donna jumped in, scolding Jackie. "Jackie. Be nice."

"Fine! It doesn't matter anyway. We can't go," Jackie grumbled, pouting and folding her arms across her chest. "This _totally_ sucks."

Hyde rolled his eyes. One thing he never missed about her: the spoiled princess act. Didn't miss it for one second.

Honestly concerned with the happiness of his friends, Fez made another suggestion. "Okay. How about you both wear mine and Amy's costumes then?"

Hyde finally peeled his eyes and his scowl from Jackie's spoiled brat routine to look at Fez. "What were you gonna be?"

"Duh. Candy," Fez answered, rolling his eyes, as if the answer to Hyde's question should have been obvious.

Hyde and Jackie shared a curious smile. "Candy?"

The foreigner nodded. "Of course... Okay, I will be right back. They're in my car," he said, excited as took off up the basement steps to get what Jackie and Hyde had already inwardly concluded that they would _not _be wearing.

A few minutes later, Fez returned with the "costumes."

Hyde looked confused, a feeling shared by the rest of the group. "They're just t-shirts, man."

Tossing the blue t-shirt to Hyde and the red one to Jackie, Fez nodded and confirmed that _yes,_ they were indeed just t-shirts, which Hyde decided he could totally deal with. Jackie, on the other hand, was skeptical. She unfolded hers to have a read but Hyde beat her to the punch.

"_Almond Joy_," he read aloud off the front of his t-shirt before giving Jackie a curious look, prompting her to read hers.

"_Mounds_,_"_ she read with a frown. "I don't get it."

Fez smiled. "Turn 'em over."

They did, and Hyde read the back of his. "_I've got nuts_."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "_I don't_," she read, presenting the back of the t-shirt for Hyde to see. The room burst out into laughter, minus Jackie, who simply plopped her butt back onto the lawn chair. "I am _not_ wearing this."

Hyde snickered. "Aw, come on, Jackie. Who cares. So you won't win the contest. At least we'll get to go, man."

"I was supposed to be Scarlett freakin' O'hara! Damn it! Beautiful and freakin' classy, not... _nutless!_"

"Ohh, I'm sorry. Did you want my nuts?" Hyde asked, almost sincerely, as he offered her the blue t-shirt with a wicked smirk.

Disgusted by his lack of concern for her ruined evening, Jackie threw him her dirtiest look. And Hyde _might_ have cared if she didn't look so hot when she was pissed. So, instead, he simply gave her a stern scowl in return and resorted to a tactic that had worked on her _years_ before.

His voice was calm as he stood up. "Look, Jackie. I'm not gonna miss this party just because you're too uptight to have a sense of humor about the situation," he said, shifting his weight for dramatic affect, "So you're gonna go in my old room. You're gonna take that sweater off and you're gonna put on that t-shirt," Jackie started to speak but Hyde raised his voice in anticipation. "And you're NOT gonna say another word about it."

Jackie stood up. "You _cannot_ tell me what to do, Steven Hyde! I may have liked it when we were dating, but we are NOT dating anymore!"

The other four occupants of the room snickered as Hyde stepped closer to his ex-girlfriend. "Well, tonight, we are! So get your spoiled ass in that room and change so we can get the hell outta here!"

The heads of Eric, Donna, Kelso, Fez and Brooke shifted back to Jackie and they all waited with wide, nervous eyes. Except, Jackie seemed to have nothing to say as she stood fuming before Hyde, who only stared back at her, cool as a cucumber.

"Fine," she muttered coolly, "but I'm gonna be cold so what should I wear for bottoms?"

Everyone released the breaths they had been holding, and shifted their attention to Hyde, who was grinning smugly.

"Just keep that skirt on," he answered, as he quickly glanced at the short jean skirt she wore, right before his eyes betrayed him and drifted down to the firm, bare thighs that disappeared underneath it. "It's... really great. And those boots," he said, swallowing hard as he observed the way the tops of her calves were cuffed off by the sexiest pair of high-heeled boots he had ever seen on a chick, "they're_ great_, too."

Jackie smirked as Hyde briefly ogled her legs. Yeah, she still had it.

After sharing a strange look, Donna and Eric both wondered how these two managed to still get underneath each other's skin more than five years after their demise. They rarely saw each other, maybe once every two months or so, and every meeting, while usually brief, always resulted in some sort of confrontation. Luckily enough for everyone, though, they were both long over each other and very, very taken, so their tiffs never lasted long—minutes, if not seconds.

"I'll just throw on my wrap sweater with it then," Jackie said quietly as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned on her heel, strutting toward the small back bedroom to change into her Mounds "costume." Hyde watched her leave and grinned at the rest of the group.

"Yeah, I still got it."

Lost in his own world, and sporting a gaping smile, Kelso muttered to Eric, "Mounds. That means boobs."

* * *

One hour later...

20 miles north of the Montrose Harbor Marina

For most of the drive to Chicago, Hyde and Jackie sat quietly next to each other in the far back seat of Kelso's van. There didn't seem to be much to say, not anymore, not these days anyway. There was a time when there had been a million things to tell each other. Hyde would never admit it to anyone, but back when they had begun dating, back when they were merely kids, he told her everything_. Everything_. But that was a million years ago. They barely knew anything about each other now, minus the useless facts brought up in idle chit chat by the rest of the gang. The two of them were practically strangers, forever burdened by the memory of their happy youth—shared together—that went up in flames.

Hyde risked glance after glance in Jackie's direction, keeping his head forward and hurting his eyes in the process. He may have been taken, may have been over her, but he wasn't fucking blind. The fact that she only seemed to get more beautiful as she grew older hadn't gone unnoticed by him, or by any other testosterone driven member of the old gang. She was a woman now, and one by one, starting with him, they had ALL noticed.

Like a moth to the flame, his wandering eyes kept finding her legs. That short skirt had moved even further up and her legs were crossed away from him, leaving him with a perfect view of her still sun kissed upper thigh. Allowing himself to become lost in fantasy, Hyde imagined what it might feel like to slide his hand up that thigh and underneath that skirt. But then the brunette moved, un-crossing her legs and snapping him out of his lustful daydream.

Hyde quickly looked away. _Damn it._ If he didn't stop, he was going to get caught, and that meant death by mockery. She had caught him checking her out about a year before and teased him for a god damned month about it.

Jackie leaned forward in her seat. "Hey, Brooke. Stop here, I like this song."

"Oh me, too," Brooke concurred. "I just love her!"

Hyde grimaced at Jackie. "Who the hell's this?"

_All through the night  
I'll be awake and I'll be with you.._

"Cyndi Lauper. Yeah, she has orange hair. She's bitchen," Jackie told him with a cheerful smile.

"_Bitchen?_" Hyde smiled at her, almost adoringly, to Jackie's surprise. "So no more disco for you then?"

"Nope. I'm a hip chick, Hyde. I move with the times."

"You mean you're a trendy little follower," he said cruelly, without thinking, making her smile disappear.

_All through the night  
This precious time, when time is new..._

"No. I just like the song. Am I allowed to do that?" In her eyes shone that familiar disgust sprinkled with hurt that Hyde had elicited in her so many times before. And completely exhausted of all desire to fight with her, he chose to reel in the usual attitude he put forward when it came to her.

This was _supposed_ to be a fun night, he thought to himself.

"Look, Jackie. I didn't mean it like that, okay? I'm… I'm sorry. Can we just... can we get along tonight? Please, for once."

"I don't know, Hyde. Can we?"

"Yes," he replied, offering her a white flag waving smile, "we can. I'll be nice, I swear." He put up his right hand, "Burnout's honor," and then offered it to her in peace. Wary at first, Jackie took Hyde's hand and gave it a hefty shake, marking their first physical contact in over two years.

_Oh, all through the night, today  
Knowing that we feel the same without saying..._

Not that either one was counting.

Jackie raised one wary eyebrow as they shook. "I'm gonna hold you to that." Hyde grinned.

"Ok."

It was no fairytale moment. There was no spark, no fireworks metaphorically exploding in mid-air, no lingering tingle—just a simple, friendly handshake.

But it _was_ the birth of something more.

_..We have no past, we won't reach back  
Keep with me forward all through the night  
And once we start, the meter clicks  
And it goes running all through the night _

Hyde grinned wickedly while scooting in closer to Jackie. "Hey," he whispered to her, "you wanna know what Kelso's wearing underneath that suit?"

Jackie smiled and nodded as Hyde leaned in and began to tell her the truth behind Kelso's dirty little secret.

_Until it ends, there is no end..._

* * *

**Montrose Harbor Marina, Chicago**

Kelso parked the van a few blocks away from the large ship and as they all made their way toward the party inside, Donna took notice of the cozy chatter coming from the trailing couple.

"Come on you guys," Donna insisted, waving them up, but instead Jackie and Hyde only talked quieter and walked a little slower and closer together. She nudged Eric. "What the hell is going on with them? They've been whispering and giggling at each other for the last thirty minutes."

"Who cares. Be happy they're not fighting," Eric pointed out, placing an arm over her shoulder, "because I SO do not feel like dealing with that tonight. Things I do feel like dealing with, you ask? Huh, well.. your boobies in that dress, that slit in your dress, that slit between your boobies in that dress..."

"Eric, you're such a perv," she teased, giving him a light slap that only seemed to encourage him further as he pulled her closer. "They were just getting a little too chummy in the back seat together and I don't think Jessica OR Colin would be too thrilled about it."

Eric shook his head. "You're cute when you're being nosy... Ginger," he said with a waggle of his brows, causing her to laugh out loud and forget all about the trouble brewing right behind her.

"You're right. I'm being nosy. I'm sure it's fine," Donna affirmed in time with a glance toward the night sky. "Huh... Looks like it's gonna rain."

* * *

**The RMS Queen Ann - Twenty-five minutes later**

Atrium Level Bar - A.K.A. "The Haunted Waiting Room"

_The impressive bar is the last stop before entering the main event; it is dark and decorated like a crypt, except for the flashing disco ball and orange lights. The sounds of David Bowie's "Let's Dance" fills the large room while the group from Point Place, along with fifty other anxious party-goers, wait._

At the bar, Kelso and Brooke shared another mind numbing shot of Jose Cuervo with Jackie and Hyde. "Don't be a puss, Hyde!"

_Let's dance  
Put on your red shoes and dance the blues  
Let's dance  
To the song they're playin' on the radio_

The two boys stood together and slammed their shots down on the bar before watching the two girls nervously nurse _their_ tall shots. "Slam it, Jackie," Hyde shouted over the music, encouraging her while he spun her barstool toward him. "I know you know how to open up your throat," he whispered in her ear, with a wicked smirk to match as he stood straight up to look at her. "Just toss it back quick. It won't hurt so much."

She peeked up at him through her lashes and took a deep breath, opening her throat and quickly tossing her head back.

At that very same moment, "Mom and Dad" walked up behind the foursome.

"Good girl," Hyde muttered as he stared down at Jackie's now wet mouth. "You want another one?"

_Let's sway  
While color lights up your face  
Let's sway  
Sway through the crowd to an empty space_

The burning liquid was giving Jackie the chills as it went down and as they uncomfortably coursed through her body, she hugged onto Hyde's waist for warmth, prompting him to grab a hold of her hips and whisper something in her ear while moving his body deeper between her thighs. Donna frowned at what she was seeing and practically yelled in Jackie's other ear.

"We need to talk. Now!" Slightly distracted by his rather dirty comment, Jackie smirked at Hyde, already buzzing like a shit-faced bumble bee, when Donna yanked on her arm. "_Now_, Jackie!"

"Ok!" she cried out, "I'm coming! God!" Gently pushing Hyde back from between her legs and spinning herself around on the bar stool, Jackie hopped down. "Oh, wait," she exclaimed, before quickly turning back toward her ex. With her lips only an angel's breath away from his ear, she whispered, "I'll be right back," causing his eyes to fall shut at the feeling of her mouth so close to his skin.

"Ok," he said softly as he consciously watched her move away from him.

_If you say run, I'll run with you  
If you say hide, we'll hide_

Donna dragged the brunette away from the bar and toward the main staircase, stopping her abruptly at the bottom step. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" The raised pitch of the redhead's voice caused Jackie's buzz to dim slightly.

"What?"

"You know _what_! You're flirting with him!"

"No, I'm not!"

"YES you are, Jackie! Hello! You have a _boyfriend!_ Remember? _Colin!_ And Hyde has a _girlfriend!_ Her name is _Jessica!_ Or did you forget?"

"NO, I didn't forget, _Donna!_ And I am NOT flirting! We're just getting along for once! That's all!"

_Because my love for you  
Would break my heart in two  
If you should fall into my arms  
And tremble like a flo-wer! _

Donna pointed in Hyde's direction. "THAT was a lot more than _getting along_, Jackie," she yelled, trying to raise her voice over the blaring music, "You two are getting all drunk and grabby at the bar, feeling each other up like two horny sixteen year olds at a drive-in!"

"No, we are _not_!" Jackie shouted indignantly, putting her hands on her hips as a show of defiance before pointing in Donna's face. "First of all, I am NOT drunk! I only had three shots of tequila and a..."

"Three DOUBLE shots of tequila, Jackie! That's SIX shots! And Hyde had twice that many in a matter of minutes! You're drunk sweetheart and I'm just trying to make you aware that you're getting WAY too cozy with someone ELSE'S man, okay?"

"Fine," Jackie growled, still not getting what the big deal was, but wanting Donna to just shut the hell up and stop being such a nag.

Meanwhile...

_Let's dance  
For fear your grace should fall  
Let's dance  
For fear tonight is all _

Eric sat at the bar and studied Hyde as he nursed his beer, quickly determining that he was, in fact, loaded. "Man, what are you doin'?"

Hyde smiled. "Trying to count my teeth. I swear I'm up to like a hundred."

Rolling his eyes briefly, Eric corrected his clueless, drunk friend. "No, man. I mean... with Jackie. What are you doing?"

"Just hangin' out. Why?"

"You are aware that she has a boyfriend, right? You know, Colin, the guy that bought the ticket for you to be here."

_Let's sway  
You could look into my eyes  
Let's sway  
Under the moonlight, this serious moonlight _

"I know," Hyde said dismissively before finally turning sincerely to his friend. "Look. I'm not doing anything with her, okay. I wouldn't do that to Jess."

"Fine," Eric murmured, quickly dropping the subject the moment he noticed Jackie return to the bar and take a place on the other side of Kelso and Brooke.

_And if you say run, I'll run with you  
And if you say hide, we'll hide…_

Without warning, the music was shut off, leaving only the loud grumble of a crowd of fifty in mid-chatter.

"OKAY FOLKS," a lanky man dressed like Herman Munster yelled as he took center stage directly in front of two sets of double doors. He waved the crowd forward. "CAN EVERYONE PLEASE STEP FORWARD. CLOSER PLEASE, SO I DON'T HAVE TO YELL... Thank you." The group of six from Point Place listened intently as the tall, green man explained the situation. "Welcome to the Queen Ann Annual Terror Fest! My name is Herman..."

"HELLO HERMAN," the crowd hummed all together.

"Yeah, hey. First of all, I'd like to apologize for the wait. Our last group took longer than expected but please don't worry, you won't miss too much of the party. Behind me are two double doors," he droned, motioning to the doors with the classic double finger sweep of an airline safety procedure. "Behind these doors is a seven maze system through the most haunted ship in the world. Thirteen ghosts haunt this ship, and although I do not have time to go into the history of each ghost, I_ will _give you the background of a couple of the more frequently seen ones. Deep inside the hull of the ship, in the hallways of the third class cabins roams the tormented spirit of a young woman who was abducted by two men just before the boat docked in New York Harbor in 1938. She was held against her will in one of the third class cabins for approximately three days while maintenance was being performed in the ship's engine room. Over the course of those three days, she was beaten, raped and stabbed nearly to death before eventually being found dead in the hallway, where she had died during an apparent attempt to crawl for help. Her spirit roams the halls to this day where she terrorizes any male who dare enter the narrow corridor." Herman took in a deep breath and continued, "Another frequently spotted ghost is..."

Hyde looked over and snickered to himself as he took note of the terrified faces of his friends, best of all, Kelso, who clung on to his fiance like a scared kitten.

"... so don't get too close to the pool, unless you want to be dragged in. Alright folks, from this point on, you are on your own. You will be relying solely on the buddy system, so please find your partners. The bracelets you were both given at the entrance are a matching set and, as you can already see, glow in the dark. You and your partner have either yellow, green, purple, blue or red so make sure they match. It will make it slightly easier to find them in the event that you become separated. It is EXTREMELY dark in there and it is _not _difficult to get lost. So, if you_ do_ find yourselves lost in one of the mazes, please locate one of the..."

"Excuse me," Jackie said softly, as she cut through the crowd to find her buddy: Hyde. Making eye contact with him, she smiled as he stretched his arm through the crowd to grab and reel her in. And as she let him pull her through, Jackie noticed the bright neon blue bracelet that clung to his wrist. It matched hers and she furrowed her brow at the realization, finding it strange that she hadn't noticed before.

Hooking his arm around her waist, Hyde pulled her in next to him, officially claiming her as his "buddy." A quick glance from him and a "Hey" solidified the union.

"Hey," she said back, her voice small. "Don't leave me, okay."

"I won't."

They both managed to catch the end of Herman's speech. "...that is definitely the most important thing to remember. Now, the goal of this little adventure is to, of course, _find the party!_"

The entire crowd broke out into cheers.

"You'll know that you have survived the haunted mazes the moment you find the Grand Ballroom on mid-level B. THAT, my friends, is where you'll find the hottest club in Chicago _and_ the main bar..."

Everyone cheered again and Herman smiled knowingly, continuing with, "so try not to attract any of our ghosts and be sure to have a good time." Herman then opened the double doors, letting in the first of the crowd.

Donna, always the mother, rallied the group for one final pow-wow. "Alright, we all need to stick together, _KELSO!_"

"What?" he replied, confused.

"No wandering off!"

"I've got him," Brooke said lovingly, smiling up at him and quickly getting ambushed with an eskimo kiss.

"Aw, you love me," he cooed, eliciting a whispered response from her, deep in his ear. She was obviously telling him something he wanted to hear because his smile was intoxicating, even from a few feet away. Jackie watched the entire exchange and suddenly missed Colin and for a reason that baffled even her, the feeling made her clasp tightly onto Hyde's arm as they slowly followed the crowd through the double doors and into the dark.

"Steven?" Shocked and slightly amused by her use of his first name, Hyde hesitated before responding. "Hyde, answer me."

"What?"

"Stay close."

"Jackie, relax. I'm not gonna ditch you."

Gripping onto the palm of his right hand, her cheek pressed against his upper arm, Jackie couldn't help but catch the faint smell of him. It was the same scent from years before. Was it him or his detergent maybe? She wasn't sure. But, whatever it was, it was familiar, yet distant, rushing up fast from some where far deep in her memory, a place that had been nearly forgotten. But now it was back and he was there, smelling and feeling as he had so many years before. Except on this night, five years later, his arms were a little stronger, his body a little thicker, and his manner, thankfully, a little more pleasant.

Hanging on to this now grown man, she felt safe, warm and _unbelievably_ drunk, dangerous territory for her, she knew. But her only saving grace was that with every new step forward, every twist of the muscles in his arm, every pass of his thumb over her skin, Donna's voice rang through her head like a nagging bell.

_You have a boyfriend._

_Colin._

_He has a girlfriend. _

_Jessica. _

_You're getting way too cozy with someone else's man._

Jackie knew the giant redhead was right. But just as guilt took over and began to assist her hand in a quick retreat, she felt Hyde's fingers interlace with hers. A nervous glance in his direction revealed the lazy gaze he held on her and Jackie watched him smile at her confusion with soft eyes, putting her at ease as the darkness enveloped them both. "Don't be scared," he soothed softly in her ear, "there's no ghosts. It's all a load of crap."

Then Hyde squeezed her hand, and touched by her ex-boyfriend's rare thoughtfulness, Jackie absentmindedly kissed his upper arm mere seconds before being violently yanked away from him.

To Be Continued.

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If you have another spare minute, I would really love and appreciate a review. I accept anonymous ones too, if you don't have an account. Thank you. Oh, and a quick thanks to gah-linda, my unofficial editor-in-chief, you rock!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - Only Crushes and Jelly Bracelets Glow in the Dark**

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed. You guys totally made my week! So, I promise that I'm going to work _really_ hard to try and give you the best possible story I can. All I ask in return is that you stick with me and continue to let me know how I'm doing. Does that sound like an ok deal :)

Also: If you get a chance, please go check out my other story "Do you think it's alright," over in the M section, under the pen name gah-luvcali. Thanks.

* * *

'Cause nothin' lasts forever  
And we both know hearts can change  
And it's hard to hold a candle  
In the cold November rain

* * *

**Previously:** Then Hyde squeezed her hand, and touched by her ex-boyfriend's rare thoughtfulness, Jackie absentmindedly kissed his upper arm mere seconds before being violently yanked away from him.

* * *

**October 31, 1984 **

**9:11 p.m.**

"Jackie!"

Not yet adjusted to the darkness, Hyde's blurred vision locked in on the rapidly distancing blue ring that was wrapped around Jackie's wrist, giving him the perfect beacon to follow. Hastily cutting through the dark sea of colorful floating rings and being stopped by grumbling bodies in the process, Hyde quickly became disoriented, losing sight of her. He stopped and slurred profanities to himself. An unproductive tactic, maybe, but fuck if there weren't at least ten blue bracelets within a twenty foot radius of him. "Damn it. _Jackie!_"

"Hyde!"

"Jackie, wave!"

She did, and Hyde finally distinguished her blue bracelet from the others as it moved across the darkness like a windshield wiper. When he finally closed in on her location, he called out to her again, quieter this time.

"Jackie?"

"Yeah."

Hyde reached out and took her blue ringed wrist, pulling her toward him to ensure her identity. "That you," he asked, cupping her small familiar face in his hands. She could smell the liquor on his breath as his calloused palms warmed her cheeks and oddly enough, the feeling comforted her.

"It's me," she replied, eliciting a relieved sigh out of Hyde; she was safe. Instantly relaxing, he dropped his hands and grew angry.

"So what the hell happened?"

"I happened," Donna's condescending voice told him, "She's gonna walk with me."

"What? Why?"

"Because she thinks me and you are getting too 'flirty' with each other," Jackie answered on behalf of her meddling friend. Donna chose to simply confirm Jackie's brief summary of the situation.

"Yeah, that's right. I do." No further explanation seemed necessary in the crowded, pitch black room.

Before Hyde could respond, the room began to illuminate in slow strobe-like bursts, revealing the details of their whereabouts one burst at a time, and finally revealing each other's locations. They appeared to be in something like a dilapidated morgue. Blood was sprayed across the filthy walls and dirty instruments hung from the ceilings. On the longer two of the four walls sat the square doors of over a hundred body drawers, subtly taunting every occupant in the room.

Hyde slowly made a full 360 and smirked his pleasure. "Awesome."

The music portion of "Thriller" began to fill the room, accompanying the gruesome scene perfectly and causing the girls to whine while Hyde shared a quick chuckle with Eric.

While the boys, minus Kelso, seemed to be quite amused with the entire set up, the girls, minus Donna, were typical in their fear. Disturbed by the images that hazily violated her eyes, Jackie shuffled quickly toward Hyde and took safety against his chest. "I don't like this," she whined, squeezing his body tightly and her eyelids shut.

"Me neither," Kelso whimpered as Brooke gripped his waist, seeking her own shelter.

"Jackie," Donna scolded as she watched her friend hug Hyde and dig deeper into the night's inevitable mistake, but Hyde put her in her place quickly.

"Donna, will you quit it, there's nothing going on."

"Hyde..."

"Donna. You're starting to piss me off. Butt the hell out."

"Fine. Do what you want, Jackie. Just don't come crying to me later."

Her instinct to mouth off caused Jackie to do something she would soon come to regret: open her eyes. "AHHH!" she screamed, forcing her body hard against Hyde's and quickly becoming frustrated that she couldn't just crawl inside his chest. "Steven!"

As Hyde slowly realized the cause of her fear, he hugged her back and chuckled. "Jackie, it's not real," he assured her, watching as a wave of chunky blood slowly trickled down the two bare walls on either side of them.

On cue with the music, Vincent Price began his sinister rap.

_Darkness Falls Across The Land  
The Midnight Hour Is Close At Hand  
Creatures Crawl In Search Of Blood  
To Terrorize Y'all's Neighborhood_

Kelso scooted toward the center of the group, bringing Brooke with him. "This is really getting scary you guys."

Eric smirked at Hyde. "Hyde, you gotta admit, it's a little creepy."

"I guess." With little more than morbid interest, Hyde simply looked around as he cradled Jackie's nuzzling head. "It's more like..."

"_OH, CRAP!_" Donna shouted, leaping at Eric, finally requiring the safety of her man's arms. His eyes went wide with the other two boys, the only other ones with their eyes still open.

_And Whosoever Shall Be Found  
Without The Soul For Getting Down  
Must Stand And Face The Hounds Of Hell  
And Rot Inside A Corpse's Shell_

"Jackie, keep your eyes shut," Hyde warned, wrapping his arms tighter around her head, intentionally blocking any view she might accidentally take in.

"Why? Why? Oh my god! What's going on! _Steven!_"

Kelso did the same with Brooke, uttering repeatedly, "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god..."

Unlike the girls, the boys couldn't have shut their eyes if they wanted to. The sight of random drawers sliding open to reveal the mutilated bodies of the recently deceased and the severely decomposed corpses of the long time dead, now climbing out from their metal tombs, had them completely entranced.

Hyde shook his head in amazement. "Fucking awesome."

Eric cautiously agreed with a nod.

_The Foulest Stench Is In The Air  
The Funk Of Forty Thousand Years  
And Grizzly Ghouls From Every Tomb  
Are Closing In To Seal Your Doom_

The ominous rant of Vincent Price fell upon horrified ears as most of the room began to scream at the realization that they were slowly becoming cornered by zombies, fake or not, it didn't seem to matter. Opening her eyes briefly, Donna watched the screaming people around her ; they had gotten her curious, but after deciding _'fuck this'_, she returned her face to the bend of Eric's neck. "_Eric._"

Similarly curious, Brooke peeked through her fingers from her position against Kelso's chest. "Michael," she demanded through worried lips. "Make it stop."

"Baby, if I could, I would," he said, hugging her tight. "Just close your eyes, bunny."

_And Though You Fight To Stay Alive  
Your Body Starts To Shiver  
For No Mere Mortal Can Resist  
The Evil Of The Thriller_

Jackie was the last to peek. The room was still being poorly lit by slow strobes from dingy, swinging ceiling lamps, which was disturbing in itself, but now, ugly, mutilated cadavers were closing in on her; not her idea of a good time. Her scared eyes looked up and found Hyde's surprisingly relaxed ones. "I don't like this anymore," she whined, silently grateful for his bravery.

"Jackie, they're just actors. Really crappy ones from what I'm seeing."

"I know, but I still don't like it."

The corner of his lips rose into a slight grin as he watched her bottom lip plump out in worry, only inches from his own. He returned her head to his chest and held onto her, quickly forgetting about the silly bout of chaos developing around them. Instead of worrying about bad actors and fake blood, Hyde worried about something much more real – the fact that Jackie felt way too incredible in his arms. Maybe Donna had been on to something. Maybe there _was_ something dangerous about the two of them getting along.

As his heart pounded in his chest, Hyde wondered whether or not his sudden crush on her was a result of his ten shots (five double shots) of tequila or if it was actually her. One thing he was lucid enough to recognize was that these did not seem to be leftover feelings for the girl he left behind in 1979, but rather an intense attraction to the beautiful _woman_ who was pressed up against him tonight.

At that very moment, Jackie whimpered, having peeked again, and snaked her arms around his neck, nuzzling her face into the curve where his neck met with his shoulder. The unbelievably warm feeling of her lips and soft breath against his skin made his chest tighten and he sighed, knowing.

_Damn it. _It was her.

What the hell was she doing to him tonight?

Shutting his eyes and moving his hands down to knead at the small of her back, Hyde prayed for sobriety to come and save his weakened constitution.

"_Check it out!_" someone shouted over the loud blood curdling groans of the undead. With a quick glance around, the more observant members of the large crowd, including Eric and Hyde, took notice of a shallow, poorly lit hallway at the end of the room. It hadn't been there before, but now in sporadic intervals, another dim light would appear, revealing a deeper view down the narrow corridor. It seemed the only way out. So, in an attempt to escape the macabre scene and move on from the anarchy of screaming girls and pestering stiffs, the crowd hastily followed the obvious lure.

Hyde shrugged at Eric. "I guess we're supposed to follow."

Jackie grabbed Hyde's hand and nudged Brooke at the same time, "Let's get the hell _out of here,_" Jackie shrieked as one of the stiffs approached her. She took off running, dragging Hyde, her safety blanket, along with her. "_Brooke!_" she yelled back.

"I'm right _behind you,_" Brooke yelped, pinching her ass in, as the same corpse followed her scrambling form. With Kelso in tow, she followed her friend down the dark hallway, closely followed by a violently yanked Eric.

"Ow, Donna! Rip my arms off, why don't ya!"

"Eric, I don't like this crap so just... act brave for me!"

"But I'm not brave."

"That's why I said 'act'," she said, with a smile. She shrugged. "Ok, so I stole that from Hyde. I'm trying to lighten the mood."

Eric chuckled and slipped his arm around her waist as they slowly trailed behind the rest of the group, "You know, speaking of Hyde," he began with a sigh, "I think you were actually right to worry, but there's nothing we can do about it. They're both adults and it's _their_ lives. It's none of our business."

"I know. I just also know that she's drunk and she loves Colin, and girls.. well, we keep our friends from getting drunk and doing something they'll regret later. That's just what we do."

"See us _guys _are the opposite... we _encourage_ our friends to get drunk and do something they'll regret later. That's just what we do. Cause it's funnier that way."

Donna laughed briefly. "Well, there's nothing funny about a crying Jackie, so I'll stick to my way and you do whatever you want."

Without hesitation, Eric slipped his index finger into the slit of her cleavage, evoking a yelp out of her.

"Hey!"

Eric feigned innocence. "What? _You said_..."

Donna turned slightly to smack his arm, and out of her peripheral vision noticed that they were actually being followed by about a hundred zombies from the previous room. She screamed, and forced Eric into a light jog and into the darkness of the remaining unlit hallway. "Crap! The_ one_ time I wear heels!"

Up ahead, Jackie, Hyde, Kelso and Brooke slowly moved down the dark corridor where Jackie continued to whimper as they walked. "I hate this," she complained, gripping onto Hyde's hand with her left and Brooke's with her right. "It's like you never know when.." Just then something growled and lunged at her, sending her screaming body flying all the way into Kelso's and making him scream bloody murder in return. Unaware that it was only Jackie, he shoved her back to where she had come from.

"Whoa," Hyde blurted, catching Jackie and she crashed into him. "Man, What the hell? Are you alright?" he asked her.

Jackie pulled herself together and grabbed his arm, hooking it around her own waist, _determined_ not to go through that bullshit again. "I'm fine," she finally answered, giggling once she realized she was safe. "I think it scared Michael more than anything."

"I wasn't scared, _Jackie._"

"Then why did you shove her, _Kelso_," Hyde rebuked.

"I didn't want my Brookie to get jealous that Jackie was all over me, _Hyde_," Kelso responded, before leaning in to whisper to Brooke, "You really should kick her ass, baby."

"Oh, _shut up_ _Michael!_" Jackie laughed. "You're so...AHH!" Another monster jumped out of nowhere prompting all four friends to forget about their petty conversation and take off running toward the faint light up ahead, laughing like hell.

They finally reached the end of the dark, treacherous hallway and entered another badly lit area containing two downward heading staircases, the edges of which provided the only light in the room. It was the fork in their metaphorical road. The entire crowd was pooled in the area and split between the two options.

Jackie turned to Hyde. "Which way should we go?"

"I say we take the right staircase," Kelso suggested, cutting in.

Hyde nodded. "Yeah, ok, but why the right one?"

"Because it's _right._ Duh."

Hyde thoughtfully studied his friend and they shared a silly, drunken grin. "Man, why do I get the feeling you base way too much on that logic?"

"Hey, man, I'll have you know that Betsy wouldn't be here today if it weren't for that logic."

Brooke craned her neck back and frowned at Jackie, immediately taking notice of Eric and Donna as they ran up behind the small girl. Donna slowed to a hop and pulled off her heels as Eric, out of breath and wide-eyed, addressed the group. "Those zombies are following us and it's really _freakin' _me out!"

Jackie's hand found her mouth. "Oh my god," she muttered, sharing a concerned look with Brooke. "Let's just go home."

"No," Hyde grimaced and looked at Eric. "Why don't you just calm down, Mary Ann. You're scaring the girls."

"I'm_ Gilligan!_" Eric corrected for probably the tenth time.

"Whatever!" Hyde shouted back, right before linking hands with Jackie. He took the lead and heading straight for the staircase on the right, immediately behind another set of couples. "Let's just go before we lose everybody," he said as the other four quickly followed.

As Jackie descended the dimly lit staircase, one step behind Hyde, her hand still joined with his, she had a disturbing thought. _She was fucking loving this._ Not because it was fun or because she was drunk but because for some sick reason, she found herself reveling in Hyde's undivided attention. She had spent so many _years_ of her life trying to get it and now, having it effortlessly pleased her to no end. And she felt like complete shit about it. What was it about him, she wondered, that made her want him to take notice of her so badly? What was it about him that made her feel like she was sixteen all over again?

It had been the one thing that kept her locked under his spell for so long, her practically _innate_ desire for his attention, and it was the death of that desire that had finally released her from the choke hold he inadvertently had on her. So to say the least, its return was not welcomed. Although, she suspected that her sudden crush had little to do with him and more to do with Jose and his god damned tequila. It was driving her inexplicable want for his affection and slowly pickling her brain, diluting the one thing that was keeping her lips from attacking his — sweet guilt.

"Hey, Hyde," Kelso called out, catching up with his friend on the landing between stairways. "I've got something that'll make this even funner."

"Funner than tequila?"

Kelso nodded and reached into his pocket, presenting Hyde with a clean, beautifully rolled joint. "Way funner."

"That IS way funner," Hyde said happily. "Nice thinkin', Kelso."

"Thank you."

"No, thank _you_."

Donna interrupted the love fest. "Alright, can you two stop sucking each other's dicks for five seconds and just light the thing up before we lose the crowd?"

"Ew, Donna."

Donna rolled her eyes. "It's just an expression, Jackie."

"Well leave your weirdo, feminist lingo at the rally from now on, okay," Jackie derided, scrunching up her nose and making Hyde chuckle. Noticing his response, she smiled up at him with big eyes, and he wanted to look away, he did, but his reaction time was slowed to a mere crawl, thanks to Jose, and she caught him in his adoring gaze. _Fuck it all_, he thought, he couldn't help it, he had forgotten how cute she could be.

Hyde squeezed his cheating eyes shut and finally looked away. _Jessica, Jessica, Jessica, Jessica..._

"Hyde!"

"Huh?"

"I said here, man," Eric repeated, giving his friend a strange look and holding out the now lit joint.

"Oh, yeah." Hyde checked the stairs before putting the joint to his lips and taking in a lung-full. While he held the smoke, he passed the joint to Jackie, who was about to do the same thing when a middle-aged couple came thumping down the stairs toward them. Jackie pushed it back at Hyde to pinch it out with his fingers; she had seen him do it a million times before. So he did, and everything seemed in order except for one thing: Hyde still had the smoke in his lungs. As the couple passed, all he could do was return their friendly nods with a shit-eating grin. In the meantime, his lungs were ready to burst and give him away.

"Is he alright?" the woman asked, stopping directly in front of him.

"He's fine," Kelso quickly replied, "He's got brontosaurus."

"_Bronchitis,_" Brooke corrected.

Kelso nodded casually. "Bronchitis."

Right then, Hyde began to choke.

"Oh baby, you're so hot! I need you now," Jackie exclaimed melodramatically and yanked Hyde away. Without caution, she slammed her own back into a corner, grinning as she brought him with her. Forcefully, she grabbed his cheeks, pulling his head toward hers, until his lips were an inch from her own, and opened her mouth, giving him a place to release his smoke. Hyde sealed his mouth over hers, fighting the urge to search out her tongue with his own as she stole his breath.

Relieved, Hyde closed his eyes. "Thanks," he whispered huskily in her ear, sending a chill up her spine as she held his breath in her lungs. They knew they had about thirty seconds before she, too, would require the sanctuary of his mouth, and, counting the seconds, they waited.

The older woman looked strangely at the rather affectionate young woman and her poor, sickly boyfriend and then returned her attention to the rest of the gang. "Did you see which way everyone went?"

Donna smiled sweetly and pointed down the remaining set of stairs. "Down that way."

"Thank you," she smiled and continued on with her husband.

A few seconds later, when the couple was out of view, Jackie exhaled the now-tenuous smoke and returned Hyde's whisper with a smile. "You're welcome." At that, Hyde brought his forehead to hers.

The four remaining the members of the group paused together, eyes wide, partially confused, partially concerned over the huddled pair in the corner. The view of Hyde's back and Jackie's boots poking out from between his legs left little to be imagined.

Donna raised an eyebrow at Kelso. "Told you."

He looked at Brooke, searching for her thoughts, but she appeared just as bewildered, merely shrugging.

"Ahem!"

Nothing.

"Um, hello," Donna continued.

Hyde turned around and stepped away from Jackie. "Are they gone?"

"_Dude_, they left like...yesterday," Eric replied.

Kelso stepped forward. "Hey, were you two just making out over there?"

Eric, Donna and Brooke were silently thankful for Kelso's natural lack of tact. The question needed to be asked.

"_No," _Hyde answered truthfully, not counting the union of their open mouths only seconds before. "We were just waiting for that couple to leave."

"Really. So what did you do with your smoke, man," Eric asked, almost accusingly.

Jackie stepped away from the corner and stood strong with Hyde. "He blew it in the corner," she said without a single hint of deception in her voice. Hyde inwardly celebrated, grateful for the lie that he didn't have to tell. He was terrible at it and she was a pro, and it was times like these that he truly appreciated her inborn fibbing skills. They didn't need anymore shit tonight over something that was not going to happen.

Everyone turned their attention to Hyde for his confirmation.

"Yep, the corner," Hyde concurred with an unconvincing grin, instantly making the other four suspect the worst. Inwardly, Jackie cursed Hyde for being such a shitty liar. She just found it impossible to _really_ trust someone who sucked so badly at fibbing. It just wasn't natural.

"Come on Steven," she said, gripping his arm and pulling him down the stairs with her, saving him from himself in the process. The remaining four shared a brief moment of incredulity, all silently wishing they had just left the two back at home.

Eric made a face. "_Steven?_" he muttered, shifting his eyes and pointing out the obvious.

Donna groaned. "Oh, _crap._" It hadn't even registered in her head when Jackie said it, and up until this point, she hadn't been totally sure, but now she was_ positive_ that Jackie had crossed back over to the dark side where her infatuation with Hyde once resided. "Kelso, Brooke, one of you need to talk to her."

"I will," Kelso offered.

"Well do it quickly, before they do something stupid." Donna looked at Eric. "We're never taking them out drinking again..."

The gang regrouped at the bottom of the stairs only to find that the crowd of fifty they had entered with was no where in sight. "Well, this sucks," Hyde slurred as he looked around, Jackie still hooked to his arm. "Where the hell did they all go?" He looked around. "How do fifty people disappear." Jackie shrugged.

"Man, look. I think they're down that hall," Eric said, pointing down a darkened, flickering corridor. "I swear I just saw someone."

Kelso approached Hyde. "Hey where's my joint, man?"

"Right here," Hyde said, pulling it out of his pocket and slamming it lightly against Kelso's chest where he heard a clink. He frowned. "What the hell was that?" After pulling back at Kelso's suit blazer, Hyde plucked out a small glass bottle from the inside pocket, pissed when he realized what it was. "I bought you all those shots and you had a bottle of Jack?"

Kelso stammered out a pathetic response. "I, I wanted... tequila, man."

"Well I want my twenty bucks back, and I'll accept _this_ as a down payment," Hyde said, with a taunting grin. "So there." He took a swig and then took a hold of Jackie's hand.

Without another word, they all headed down the long hallway that appeared to have no end in sight. "Hey, Jackie," Kelso whispered. "I wanted to talk to you about something." He handed Brooke over to Hyde, who seemed oblivious to the date transfer, and pulled Jackie to the back of the group as they walked.

Jackie was confused. "What, Michael?"

"You know I love you, right Jackie?"

"Yeah, I know that," Jackie answered, perplexed at the reiteration of something they'd discussed a million times before. "Michael, what?"

"Look, Jackie. Hyde's really, really, _really_ drunk, so the way he's acting, you know, being all nice to you... Look, I just don't want you to take it the wrong way, okay."

"What are you talking about?"

"Jackie, you're drunk and so is he, and you called him 'Steven', and in case you didn't know, you and first names is a bad sign," he informed her and raised his eyebrows to push his point. "I know it's been a long time but don't forget what happened with you guys. You've got Colin now, and I really like him. He's my friend. So, don't blow it for me, Jackie!"

Jackie laughed at this boy who had loved her for as long as she could remember and stopped walking, taking his hands into her own. "Michael, I know you're just trying to protect me, and it's sweet, but nothing is going on with me and Hyde, ok? And _trust me_, I would never forget what he did to me, and I would never forget what _you_ did for me back then, too, so don't worry. I'm not stupid, and I'm not that drunk." That was a lie. Six shots of tequila coursing through the bloodstream of a one hundred five pound girl had no where to go but the brain. But Kelso didn't need to know that. His expression told her that he was honestly concerned for her. "Come here," she said, steadying herself on her tiptoes and giving him a big hug. "Thank you..."

A minute later Hyde returned Kelso's fiancé to him after nearly fifty feet of protecting her from underpaid college students and strung up props. Grateful to have Jackie back with him, he hooked her in by the waist and grinned. He liked this, and had a feeling she did too; or at least he hoped she did. He was so hammered, there was no way to tell what was what anymore.

A few minutes later the gang all made it through their second gruesome hallway, scared out of their wits but laughing like hell, and, as promised, came to the first of four mazes. Forced to wait in a waiting area by two leather clad guards, everyone took the opportunity to hit the restrooms. Inside the women's restroom, Jackie received an ear full from Donna.

"You kissed him, didn't you?"

"No, I didn't!"

"_Jackie,_" Donna began before being cut off by Brooke.

"Ok! Everyone just needs to calm down... Jackie," Brooke said, turning calmly to her friend. "Did you kiss him or not?"

Jackie snottily smirked at Donna and answered curtly. "No."

"Okay. I believe you."

Donna rolled her eyes at Brooke's naivete. "Brooke."

"Donna."

"Ugh._ Fine," _the redhead growled through clenched teeth, "I guess believe you, too, then, Jackie."

Jackie narrowed her bloodshot eyes. _Bullshit, _she thought. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

In the men's room, Hyde answered a few questions of his own.

Kelso zipped up his slacks. "Ok, so if I'm Gilligan, I only have to take out the professor, 'cause who wants to nail a fat guy and an old guy? And then BAM, I'm sandwiched between two hot chicks! Right?"

Hyde nodded, his puffy, bloodshot eyes more prominent in the bright, florescent light. "Yeah, two hot chicks."

Kelso and Eric shared a laugh. "Man, you're so wasted," Kelso said with a smile before turning back to Eric_. "_Looks like someone's ending up in a dress tonight." He grew excited. "OH! Hey, does Donna have any hot little mini-skirts like the one Jackie's wearing? We can make him_ sexy_!"

Hyde fell back against the wall and groaned. "God, that mini-skirt."

Kelso nodded. "Yeah. She does look pretty hot in it."

"Kelso," Eric bit. "What did we just talk about?"

"Oh, yeah... Um, she looks pretty _fat_ in it."

Hyde grimaced. "No, she doesn't, man. She looks fucking _hot_ in it."

"Yeah," Kelso had to admit before turning to face Eric's burning scowl. "Look, Eric. How hot a girl looks in a mini-skirt is just not something I can lie about. Anything else! But not that."

The three girls stood in angry silence out in the waiting area as the boys came out of the restroom, one by one. Frustrated, Donna pulled Eric away, prompting an strange look from Brooke.

"She'll get over it," Jackie assured her.

Kelso came out and playfully hugged Brooke, lifting her in the air and kissing her neck as he carried her giggling body away. Now left alone, Jackie just stood, her arms folded, waiting, when Hyde crept up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. "Hey." His deep voice rang soft in her ear and she wondered, as he hooked his chin on her shoulder, just how far this whole 'flirting' thing was actually going to go. Certain that the answer lay in her control, she dropped her head back against him and closed her eyes, unabashedly soaking in his warmth and suddenly not giving a damn what anyone else thought about it.

A few minutes later, while the gang still waited at the entrance to the first maze, a group of people stepped out from the dark labyrinth. "Is this the other side," the taller of the men asked Eric. "Did you already go through?" He looked confused and so did Eric as he answered.

"Uh...No, we're still waiting to go in, man."

"Damn it. This is the entrance!" the man yelled back to an unseen person as he grumbled obscenities and turned back around, quickly disappearing back into the darkness.

Eric raised his eyebrows playfully, totally intrigued. "Uh, oh."

After finally being given the 'ok' to enter, the gang cautiously stepped inside the anarchistic maze, two by two. Eric and Donna took the lead, discovering almost immediately how the man and his friends could become so easily lost in the twisted black mess of torment and murder. The sounds of chainsaws and painful screams filled their ears as they followed tiny black lights on the ground that seemed to lead to nowhere. Deeper inside, the never ending ambushes continued and caused the distance between each pair to widen, allowing Hyde the opportunity to finally do what his hammered brain had been scheming for nearly five minutes.

Without warning, he startled Jackie by pulling her away from the group and into a nearby crevice, a veritable spider hole used by the crew to make their stealthy attacks.

"Steven, what are you doing?" It was so dark that Jackie could barely see him, only his silhouette stared back at her from mere inches away. The cramped quarters of the space allowed her to feel his clumsy movements while he dug into his jacket pocket.

"They're all bugging me," he explained, placing a small bottle in her hands. "You want some?"

"Yeah, I guess." Jackie knew she needed to sober up before drinking another drop but her need for a distraction proved more immediate. Upon entering the small space, a wretched wave of anxiety had forced her pounding heart into her throat because the truth was: she knew _exactly_ why he had brought her in here. She wasn't stupid.

Determined to take control of the situation, but still needing a quick distraction, Jackie took a swig of the amber liquid, quickly realizing that the bottle in her hand was nearly empty. "Did you drink all of this?"

"Pretty much," Hyde responded in that sleepy tone that she recognized from years before. _Oh god._ It was happening. Suddenly the unbridled anxiety Jackie was feeling took over her body and she desperately polished off the remaining two ounces of whiskey. Blinded by darkness, with her back to the wall, she could only_ feel_ the sensation of Hyde's hands taking hold of her hips and pulling them flush against his own. He did it with complete confidence, as if she had been his for the taking all along, and it was that caveman gesture that sent a deep chill through her chest, prompting her respirations to increase in rate and depth as she struggled to speak. "What are you doing, Steven?"

A painful twinge rippled through her chest when Hyde, in response, brought his lips to her cheek, dragging them slowly over her skin and toward her delicate ear as he spoke. "What do you think I'm doing?"

Jackie swallowed hard and choked out a weak, "_I don't know_."

Spreading his legs to come level with her smaller stature, Hyde nuzzled her ear briefly before wrapping his lips around her soft lobe. "I want you so bad," he whispered, causing her eyes to flutter shut, leaving only the feeling of his warm, wet mouth as it sucked and nipped at her sensitive ear.

Instinctively drawn toward the source of her pleasure, Jackie turned her head slightly to nuzzle against his. "Oh, Steven." she sighed, completely intent on quelling his advances. "You only want me cause you're drunk."

"No. I'm only _telling_ you cause I'm drunk. I want you cause you're hot... and beautiful... and god, you smell good." He hissed in a deep, shaky breath and pressed his lower body hard against hers — not enough to hurt but enough to make her feel the swollen effect she was having on him. "God, I forgot how good you taste," he groaned, continuing his oral quest across her neck.

Jackie smiled softly, there seemed to be a lot of that going around. She had forgotten how good his mouth felt. With a dull thud, her head hit the wall behind her, purposefully exposing her naked throat for him to devour. "Steven, we can't do this," she whimpered, completely contradicting her own actions.

Hyde continued to explore the new territory, sucking and lightly licking every inch of her flesh. "Why not?"

"Cause of, um..." Jackie swallowed down her pounding heart. "Colin and... um..." The new sensation of his roaming hands made her pause, rendering her nearly stupid as they slipped down around her waist to cup her ass. "Oh, God...What's her name?"

Hyde stopped, his lips still on her neck as he took in a deep breath and opened his drowsy eyes. "Jessica," he muttered. It was the reminder he needed. Fifty miles away was a girl who loved and trusted him, never once questioning his decision to escort his incredibly hot ex-girlfriend to a party on Halloween night. But instead of pulling away in response to his guilt, Hyde pulled Jackie in for the tightest hug he had ever given another human being in his life, gingerly lifting her off her feet. He still wanted her, still needed to feel her against him, still desperately hoped to kiss her and couldn't bring himself to let go.

"God, Jackie. I'm so drunk."

He sounded worried, so Jackie hugged him back, closing her arms _so_ tightly around his neck that the two couldn't have physically gotten any closer. "I know, baby."

She was, too.

"Just tell me you don't want me," he pleaded with her. "Tell me to stop, 'cause I don't think I can." His lips gently returned to her skin as he kissed in time with whispered "pleases."

Trapped in a weakened state herself, Jackie moaned at the heady mix of his soft lips contrasted against the rough hairs of his sideburns as they grazed her smooth cheek. She was slowly becoming lost in the sensations he was eliciting deep inside her, and it wasn't long before she began to grate her hips into his, completely aroused by the intense erection that strategically jutted up against her clit. "God, Steven," she cried out softly, nearly delirious as she ground harder against him, sending him into a frenzy.

"Fuck Jackie. Please," Hyde begged, trailing harried kisses up her throat and becoming more desperate for her as his lips closed in on her panting mouth. "Tell me to stop..."

To Be Continued.

* * *

If you have another spare minute, I would really love and appreciate a review. I accept anonymous ones too, if you don't have an account. Thank you so much. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: I Can't Escape the Ghost of You**

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the reviews. I cant even tell you how much you guys kick ass. Ok, so were in the 80's now and yes, the 80's music is totally on! (well, in the next two chapters really) I completely insist that you open a second browser, open YouTube and play these songs. It completely changes everything for the better. I never include songs for the lyrics, its about the music, the feeling. So if you wanna know what our favorite little couple is hearing, and you want to get the full effect of this story, then I HIGHLY recommend listening. :P In fact, I beg you. It'll be worth it, trust me.

* * *

**Previously:**

"Fuck Jackie. Please," Hyde begged, trailing harried kisses up her throat and becoming more desperate as his lips closed in on her panting mouth. "Tell me to stop_..."_

* * *

_December 5, 1977_

_"Steven! You shaved your beard off!" _

_In Jackie's mind's eye, the image of her own vision rushing toward Hyde was as clear as a summer's day. He was so young, so jaded, but still so, so sweet. It was the way she liked to remember him. It always would be. _

_"I thought it might cheer you up."_

_She still remembered the feeling; it was a twinge, a pulse of heat that raked through her chest. He really did care. He loved that stupid beard, but now maybe he loved her more. The idea filled her heart with hope_—_a feeling in short supply on this cold December day. _

_"Oh my god. You shaved it off for me... You let the razor say the words your mouth couldn't speak."_

_Then, there it was: that smile. Reaching up, she remembered thinking that she had never felt his soft cheeks before, not as his girlfriend anyway, and not in such a way that had ever earned her the sweet glow that now graced his face. His smiling, almost drowsy, eyes that gazed into hers, the corners of his mouth as they lifted slightly into a small smile_, _they made her want to kiss him, and never stop. _

_"Awww!"_

_"Shut-up!"_

_Her focus held solely on Hyde's smooth face, Jackie ignored the commotion around them and gave him a soft kiss. _

_And off to his room they went, with her leading the way. _

_Jackie shut the door behind them, settling her back against it, content to never leave this spot as long as he agreed to stay here with her. _

_She watched him grin as he stood in front of her. "What," he asked, suddenly seeming embarrassed under her adoring gaze. "Why are you staring at me like that?"_

_It took her a moment to respond; there seemed no rush today. "The last time I saw you like this, you didn't want me… and now, you do." Happy tears pooled in her eyes; she could still feel their sting, even seven long years away. _

_His smile grew as he nodded and slowly brought his cheek_—_still cool from the outside air_—_in contact with her warm one, caressing his way toward her ear. "I do want you… so bad," he whispered gruffly, his double meaning obvious._

_"Oh, Steven," Jackie giggled, giddy like the schoolgirl she was. "Tell me why." She could hear him chuckle lightly in her ear, his breath tickling just enough to feel good. _

_"Um...Because you're beautiful," she heard him softly say before pulling her lobe into his warm mouth, "and God, you taste good."_

_The combination of his baby soft cheeks and the course hairs of his still remaining sideburns lit her nerve endings on fire as he nipped and sucked at the sensitive tip of her ear. _

_"Tell me you want me, too," he continued as he pulled down the cuff of her turtleneck and left a delicate path of kisses from her earlobe down to her throat, sending the butterflies that swarmed in her stomach into a fluttering frenzy. "Tell me you want me as much as I want you right now."_

_"I want you," she whispered back, shutting her eyes at the feeling of his lips on her skin. _

"I want you so much, Steven."

Jackie opened her eyes, quickly returning to her once unknown future, Hyde's body still pressed up against hers in the dark, trailing kisses up her throat—this time nearly seven years older and begging for a way out...

**October 31, 1984 **

**9:54 p.m.**

It suddenly occurred to her that this man was not _that boy._ _He_ was long gone. It was _him_ that she wanted, _him_ that she missed late at night—not this man that belonged to someone else. Jackie's entire face clenched from the pain, the hurt furiously ripping through her chest until her eyes burned with tears. "Hyde, stop," she sobbed out.

Hyde pulled back, startled out of his lustful fog by the pained inflection in her voice. He took a quick inventory of his surroundings as she inexplicably cried against his shoulder—her skirt bunched up above her panty line; her leg hooked over his hip, held securely in place by his right hand while his other arm was coiled tightly around her waist. "Shit...Jackie...I'm sorry. I didn't... I don't know what I'm thinking." He put her leg back down and gingerly fixed her skirt. Then, slipping his hands up into her hair, he held her head still and pressed his forehead to hers. "Jackie. I'm really sorry."

They stood in the dark for a moment while Jackie softly cried, silent until she snaked her arms around his neck and drew in a deep, cleansing breath. "Just hold me for a second, Steven."

Confused as all hell, but feeling guiltier than anything, Hyde complied with her only wish and held her, nuzzling his face into her hair. "I am. I'm sorry. Okay? It won't happen again."

"Don't be sorry. I wanted you to," she admitted to his surprise. "I'm not crying because of this."

"Then what the hell's the matter? Why are you crying?"

Jackie never answered his question. How do you tell someone that you're mourning the death of them while they stand alive right before you? How do you find that person inside to tell them you miss them without sounding like a head case? You don't, she figured. You simply blame your irrational tears on the alcohol: the perfect scapegoat. "I'm just drunk, Steven. It's not you."

She heard him take in a deep breathe and let it out slowly as he spoke; he sounded relieved. "Yeah, I'm pretty wasted, too." Hyde _was_ relieved, and grateful, that she was clear-headed enough to save him from making a huge, costly mistake. "Thanks," he whispered and kissed her head. "For... stopping me."

Jackie smiled, finally letting go of her tears, until she felt his lower body lazily fall against hers, revealing his still prominent erection. "Steven," she bellowed, slightly embarrassed. She giggled in his ear, and he pulled his hips back and away from her.

"Sorry. Crap," he grumbled, fighting back his own laughter, "It won't go away." He tried to fight it, but to no avail; crying, giggling, or both—she was still a sexy girl. But her growing amusement seeped into his intoxicated bloodstream and pulled him in, masking his embarrassment and sparking a sudden laughing fit between them. "It's that freakin' skirt, man."

Once the silence resumed, they both sighed and then snickered again. "Come on, you pervert. Let's go," Jackie said, pulling him by the hand.

"Hey, it went down," he said in defense of himself. "No thanks to you. I had to force myself to think about what Kelso's wearing underneath that suit."

"Ew," Jackie laughed. "Oh my God. Yeah, good thinking..."

* * *

_Exit to maze #1 _

_Same time_

_Donna, Eric, Kelso and Brooke are all standing outside the maze, looking rather irritated._

"Where the hell are Jackie and Hyde? I swear to god those two are nothing but trouble waiting to happen." Frustrated, Donna tossed her hands into the air and collapsed against her boyfriend. "Eric," she complained. "You know we're never gonna get to the nightclub, right?"

Eric sighed and looked at Kelso. "What do you wanna do, man?"

"You know they might have gotten out before us and we just didn't notice, what with all the _girl screaming going on_," Kelso practically screeched, his voice oozing with condescension and his finger wiggling violently in his ear. "_Eric!"_

"That chick came out of no where, man!"

Brooke rolled her eyes. "You know, Michael has a point, they might have already come out and left and we're just standing here like idiots. We should just go and either catch up with them or look for them in the ballroom."

"She's right, let's just go," Donna said, smiling up at Eric, putting on her best baby voice. "And don't worry, honey, I'll protect you… from that _super scary_ pregnant lady."

Everyone snickered, except Eric.

"Her stomach bumped _right_ into me, okay! It freaked me out!"

* * *

_Five minutes later…_

As Jackie and Hyde emerged from the maze, they found themselves in another dimly lit lounge area. They looked around for their friends but found no one familiar in sight. So Jackie stopped walking and turned around, allowing Hyde to do what he'd been casually doing all night: move in close and take hold of her hips as they spoke.

"Should we wait for them," she asked.

Hyde shrugged. "I guess." Then quickly removing his hands, and suddenly unsure of why he felt so compelled to touch her tonight, Hyde strolled over to a nearby wall and leaned up against it, folding his arms. Jackie, in the meantime, paced the small area, turning to look at every couple that exited the noisy maze.

After a few minutes, she grew frustrated. "Where _are_ they? You don't think they left us do you?"

"No, they wouldn't leave us. They probably just got lost. You know Kelso."

"Yes. _Stupid Michael_." Jackie hugged her body and moved toward Hyde with a small pout on her lips. "Steven, it's really cold in here," she whined. Hyde nodded; he had to admit, it _was_ cold and she was in that tiny little skirt.

He sighed and held out his arms. "_Fine_. Come here...But just 'til you get warmed up." Jackie quickly shuffled over to him and slid her arms into his jacket and around his waist, resting her cheek against his warm chest. She shivered in his arms for a short while until her body finally calmed and sunk comfortably into his.

And as they leaned together against that wall, Hyde—drowsy with intoxication and content—let his heavy eyelids drift shut...

_August 19, 1977_

_Besides the warm feeling in his chest, contrasted against the chill from the open fridge, it was her lips that he remembered most about that day. They still tasted sweet, like her lip-gloss, even after hours of kissing them._

_Despite his lust, he pulled his mouth away from hers; Hyde recalled a sudden need to see her face._

_Then, there it was: that look. "You think I'm badass?" It was mischievous and a little dirty_—_a look that suited her well. _

_The vision of that wicked smile mingled with the feeling of her twenty-four year old body pressed flush against his, jarred Hyde's senses back to life. _

_God, she was sexy... and cruel._

_"Maybe," he remembered answering. _

_Through his own mischievously narrowed eyes, Hyde watched her dip her bottom lip back into her mouth and graze it softly with her teeth, before letting it plump back out_—_wet and just begging to be kissed. _

_His eyes widened as he grabbed her hand and hastily pulled her away from the fridge, forgetting to close it shut. "Come on." _

_Having no recollection of the walk downstairs, Hyde's_ _memory picked back up the moment his back was slammed into the wall outside his room. She had taken charge of the situation and he liked it—A lot._ _He remembered having a sick thought the moment she did it: No wonder Kelso kept her around for so long; because_ _when the desire struck her, she was capable of making a grown man cry for more. _

_God, she was hot... and wicked. Fuck, it was so good.  
_

_He could still feel the searing kiss that followed, even seven long years away. It was intense and almost... angry, things he felt on a daily basis, except she made them feel incredible as they rushed from the beating organ in his chest down to the one that was growing hard in his pants. _

_Without warning, Jackie pulled away from the kiss, leaving him dissatisfied and a little irritated. But she only smiled between his hands as they cradled her face. She clasped his right hand with her own and pulled it toward her mouth_, _gently rubbing his thumb over her soft lips._ _Hyde fell into a lascivious trance the moment she laid a thick kiss on the pad of his thumb and then wrapped her lips around it, slowly taking it inside her warm mouth, all the while holding her sleepy gaze on him._

_"Oh, fuck." Hyde felt each suck and twist of her tongue deep in his groin, making him drunk with lust, and when her other hand graciously gripped his erection through his pants, he closed his eyes. "God, Jackie." The words barely left his lips. He was so engrossed in her activities that he couldn't even recall if he had said them out loud. But before he knew it, both his hands were deep in her hair and her mouth was back in his possession, tongue entangled with his as he carried her off to his room to feel her on the inside for the first time..._

"Steven?"

Hyde opened his eyes. "Huh?"

"Steven, you're squishing me."

"Huh? Oh, sorry." He loosened his grip.

Jackie smiled up at him, curiously amused. "Did you fall asleep?" Hyde paused, stunned by the way she was staring up at him, his heart twisting mercilessly in his chest. She was even more beautiful.

"No." Hyde replied and gave her a small smile. "We should probably go. I think maybe they left without us." Jackie let go of his waist and he instantly pulled off his thin jacket, handing it to her. "Here."

She stopped in mid scowl. "_Steven_, I can't wear dark gray; I might as well jump in a chimney chute."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "You wanna be cute or do you wanna be warm?"

Jackie thought about it, and after a few pondering twitches of her nose, she took his jacket.

"Fine. I don't see why I can't be both," she rationalized out loud as she slipped it on, layering it underneath her quite fashionable sweater coat. "You're sure?"

"Yeah, I've got this," he said, pulling down the long sleeves to the white thermal shirt he wore underneath his blue "Almond Joy" t-shirt. He grabbed her hand. "Come on..."

* * *

_Twenty-four minutes later…_

Chased out of maze #3—the Hall of Horrors—by her snarling date, Jackie screamed and begged for mercy. "Steven, stop it! Please! That's not funny!"

Hyde stopped and grinned just before he reached her trembling form.

"You're right, it's not funny. It's friggin' hilarious. _'Steven, stop_," Hyde cried out mockingly, using his best Jackie impersonation, waving his hands in front of him. "_Possessed people freak me out!" _He chuckled silently, waiting for her reaction, accurately anticipating the delicious rise he was going to get out of her.

Jackie groaned loudly. "_Ooh!_ God! I hate you sometimes!"

Hyde's smile grew; he was _quite_ proud of himself. "No, you don't," he said, calling her bluff as they followed the crowd. "I see you sometimes, when you come around, watching me."

Jackie's entire face distorted in disgust. "Oh, please. You're the one who watches me! I see you… checking out my legs. You're so obvious."

Hyde simply looked her over from head to toe and shrugged. "You're okay."

Jackie gasped. "Excuse me? I'm _okay_?" She stopped walking and stood with her arms folded, a few more snide remarks away from drawing orphan blood. "Take it back."

Hyde stopped and turned around, folding his arms, too. "No," he said, curtly.

Jackie stomped her foot. "Now!"

Shaking his head defiantly—secretly amused by her tantrum—Hyde reiterated. "Nope." Then, he waited for her retort, but none came. Instead, Jackie looked as if she were about to cry. Letting her eyes fall to the floor, she turned around and began to walk away, dropping a few sniffles in his direction.

Hyde's shoulders slumped and his head drew back. _Damn it._ "Aw, come on, Jackie," he said, back peddling as he followed her. "I didn't… I was just messin' with you." He blew out a breath. "Fine...I lied. You're beautiful," he grumbled, unable to believe she had managed this out of him in less than three hours of being here.

Jackie quickly turned around wearing a triumphant smile, gloating as Hyde nodded with his own knowing grin. Immediately accepting of his defeat, he lifted his hand in resignation. "Yeah, ok. You got me with your girl trickery. I'll give you this round."

She hooked her arm around his as they began to walk. "How about we call it even if _you_ promise to stop scaring me?"

Hyde nodded again and Jackie smiled as they followed the rest of the crowd onto a circular balcony that overlooked a small ballroom. The crackled, haunting voice of Billie Holiday played while nearly thirty couples danced below, all dressed in vintage 1930's clothing.

_The very thought of you  
And I forget to do  
Those little ordinary things  
That everyone ought to do_

Jackie, Hyde and the nine other couples they were walking with, stood in the dark and curiously leaned over the railing to get a better view of the strange scene. Four large amber crystal chandeliers hung high from the ceiling—at their eye level—and lit up the otherwise dark room below. They cast an evocative, yet eerie, glow on the strange, lifeless dancers below.

_I'm living in a kind of daydream,  
I'm happy as a queen.  
And foolish though it may seem  
To me, that's everything_

Jackie's voice was dreamy as she spoke. "Oh, Steven. Isn't it beautiful? God, that's when men knew how to act and women knew how to dress."

Hyde frowned inquisitively down at the people below, until a smile formed on his face. "They're only dancing like that cause they're dead, Jackie. Hey, maybe this is their hell: forced to wear ascots and ballroom dance forever."

Jackie looked confused. "What?"

"Yeah, look," he pointed, "They're supposed to be ghosts. Look at their faces."

_The mere idea of you  
The longing here for you  
You never know how slow the moments go  
'Til I'm near to you_

Hyde saw the disappointment on Jackie's face morph into an optimistic glow. "I think this is their heaven, Steven," she sighed. "It would be mine."

Hyde could have said a million things, burning her, teasing her, but decided instead to just let it go, and let her have it. "Maybe it is." He gently took hold of her fingers, and pulled her reluctant body away. "Come on."

_I see your face in every flower  
Your eyes in stars above  
It's just the thought of you  
The very thought of you, my love_

* * *

_The third class cabins corridor. Twenty minutes later._

Jackie clutched onto Hyde from behind, the muscles in his strong back twisting and moving beneath her cheek as he cautiously leaned forward and looked from right to left and then right again. It was dark here, and as Hyde made the last step down off the staircase, he felt his body get tugged backwards.

"No, Steven, let's go back! The ghost lady hates men! She'll kill you and then I'll be left alone!"

Hyde grabbed her hands and unsuccessfully tried to peel them from his stomach. "Jackie! We can't go back. There's no where to go. And I think the ballroom is on the other side of this hallway. I mean, we've already been through all the mazes, there's nothing left." On the outside, Hyde was Superman, but on the inside, he was somewhat worried; he hadn't seen another human being, besides Jackie, in nearly ten minutes. They had been too busy flirting and grabbing at each other—and too drunk—to notice that the crowd had slowly disappeared around them. The only clue that they were still on the main path was the tiny black lights at their feet that led them to this corridor, aptly titled with an old sign that simply read, "Third Class Cabins."

Jackie still behind him, Hyde twisted his body and lifted his arm to let her slide around to his side; there was no way she was letting go entirely. Placing an arm around her, he rested his cheek on her head. "Hey. Just walk with me down one more hallway and I'll… I'll buy your drinks for the rest of the night."

"Okay," she whimpered, squeezing him tight, amazed at how _safe_ his body felt, "Just don't leave me."

"I won't. Come on."

Everything was going well as they made their way down the narrow passageway when suddenly their tiny beacons flickered out, leaving nothing but the glow of their blue bracelets in the middle of the pitch blackness.

"Steven!" Jackie screamed, "What happened?"

"Jackie, calm down. I don't know. I can't see anything."

To Hyde's dismay, the small brunette began to whimper and whine, mumbling 'don't leave me' over and over and clutching onto him like a scared child. "Jackie, I'm not gonna leave you. You can't lose me anyway, I've got my blue blacelet… my brue bracelet… my brue blacelet," Hyde chuckled. "I can't talk."

"Steven, this isn't funny! She's gonna come for you!"

"Who?"

"The ghost lady who was killed here!"

Hyde snorted. "Jackie. They made that story up to scare you so that when you got to this hallway you'd freak out."

"Well, it's working."

Suddenly, the soft cries of a woman filtered through the black passage, causing Jackie to begin to cry, too. Hyde wanted to laugh but sighed instead, finding her fear strangely endearing. "_Jackie_. Baby, there's nothing to cry about. It's fake."

"I hate this," she softly whined. Hyde could hear her tiny sniffles only inches from his ear so he held her tighter, silently chuckling in his head. _Chicks._

Gradually, in the distance, doors began to slam as the cries of the woman became deep moans—each one growing louder until the slamming doors were so thunderous and close that Hyde and Jackie could feel the breeze from their violent motion. Jackie screamed the moment something brushed past her arm and she jumped into Hyde's arms, straddling him—skirt and all—wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "Jackie…I can't breathe."

Jackie loosened her death grip slightly. "_Steven, just get me the fuck out of here!"_

"_Alright," _he griped. "Just… your nails are digging into my shoulder!"

"Just move!"

Using his hand to guide him, Hyde blindly attempted to carry her down the long corridor. They were moving like pond water, barely making ground when the little black lights suddenly flickered back on. "Alright," Hyde happily exclaimed, "the lights are back!"

"_STEVEN!" _Jackie's blood curdling scream ripped through him in the form of a painful chill. He felt her leap off his body and grab his hand, yanking at him. "_Steven! She's gonna get you!_" Her terrified gaze was locked on something behind him and as he turned around, a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Oh, crap," he blurted, slightly startled when he met eyes with an extremely disturbing looking woman. Her skin was pale and peeling off the bones in her face, and although he knew it was simply make-up, he had to admit, it was pretty fucking disgusting… and a little scary. So with as much coolness as he could muster, Hyde turned around, grabbed his ex-girlfriend and got the fuck out of Dodge...

* * *

_Three minutes later…_

"_Hungry like the wolf" by Duran Duran can be faintly heard in the background._

_In touch with the ground  
I'm on the hunt, I'm after you  
Scent and a sound. I'm lost and I'm found  
And I'm hungry like the wolf._

Jackie's face beamed as her pace quickened. "Steven! Do you hear that? Music!"

Hyde nodded as she dragged him forward. He heard it, and it sounded glorious. He was tired of walking, tired of Halloween and ready to quench his parched throat with something potent. Walking up a final flight of stairs, they approached the infamous ballroom, a nightclub really, except it was decorated for the dark holiday… and it happened to be on a ship.

_Strut on a line its discord and rhyme  
I howl and I whine, I'm after you  
Mouth is alive, all running inside  
And I'm hungry like the wolf._

A guy dressed as the Incredible Hulk offered them each a cup of water at the entrance. "For the screamers," he growled, looking at Hyde, who only scowled and took his water.

"I didn't scream, dickhead."

The Hulk returned the glare. "What did you just call me?"

"Oh, Steven, he's just playing with you," Jackie giggled as she dragged Hyde away, still glowering at his green friend.

"Fine."

_Burning the ground I break from the crowd  
I'm on the hunt, I'm after you  
I smell like I sound. I'm lost and I'm found  
And I'm hungry like the wolf_

Jackie and Hyde held hands as they strolled through the club, checking it out. There must have been at least fifteen hundred people already occupying it, dancing, drinking, and laughing—all having fun. And ready to have a little fun herself, Jackie came to a stop at the bar and grabbed the front of Hyde's t-shirt, pulling him close as he ordered two shots of Southern Comfort. "You're gonna dance with me, right?" she asked him.

He looked down at her and scowled. "_No."_

"Steven! You're my date; you HAVE to dance with me!"

"I don't HAVE to do anything," he insisted, handing her a small shot glass full of liquor. "Drink."

Jackie grumbled as she drank, her pickled little mind silently plotting against him. It was simple: he was drunk. Why was she even bothering with his permission? They stood for a few moments as Hyde scanned the room for his friends. Next to him, Jackie simply stood, pouting, when "Burning down the house" by the Talking Heads suddenly came over the loud speakers of the club.

Jackie's face lit up.

_Watch out, you might get what you're after  
Cool babies, strange but not a stranger  
I'm an or-di-na-ry guy  
Burning down the house _

"Oh, come on, Steven! Dance with me!" she yelled over the music as she excitedly tugged at Hyde's hand, slowing pulling him forward. Stubbornly, he grumbled his displeasure but still willingly allowed himself to be dragged onto the dance floor by the petite girl.

"Come here, Steven." Pulling him close and smiling wickedly, Jackie began to move her body to the beat, easily drawing him in with her eyes, her voice seductive. "Dance with me."

_Hold tight, wait till the party's over  
Hold tight, we're in for nasty weather  
There has got to be a way  
Burning down the house_

Hyde reluctantly complied but wasn't so much dancing, but feeling Jackie's body as she danced to the music. His sole focus lay with her and her hips as they rolled and swiveled underneath his grasp, occasionally grazing teasingly against him. Her seductive eyes bewitched him while her body spoke to him, simply stating that she was feeling _sexy_ tonight. And he agreed... damn, she sure was. _Fuck_.

Turning around and leaning her body back against Hyde's, Jackie closed her eyes and continued to move her hips, letting herself get lost in the feeling of his strong body behind her and the music as it vibrated through them both. This was what she needed, release and the sanctuary of noise and an unassuming crowd.

Behind her, Hyde couldn't steal his eyes away, tranced as she gently bucked up against him, her arms raised up to hold his head close to hers. "God, you're fucking_ sexy_, you know that," he groaned in her ear, slipping his arms around her waist and holding her tight as they swayed provocatively together.

_All wet, hey you might need a raincoat  
Shakedown, dreams walking in broad daylight  
Three hun-dred six-ty five de-grees  
Burning down the house_

"You still think I'm crazy, Brooke?" Donna uttered as the two stared, intrigued by the body language of the former couple as they stood out on the dance floor, dancing closer and much, much slower than the rest of the crowd.

Brooke simply sighed, not knowing what to think. "They're just dancing, Donna," she reasoned, trying her best not to jump to conclusions.

"I know," Donna said, smirking, unable to take her eyes off the pair. "You know, if they weren't dating other people, I probably would have thought it was cute."

Brooke smiled. "It _is_ cute."

A little toasted herself, Donna chuckled at the expression on Hyde's face, one she could only describe as drunken bliss as he closed his eyes and danced with his date, who also happened to be his first love. Then... they were lost in the crowd. "Yeah, I guess it is."

_My house, S'out of the ordinary  
That's right. Don't want to hurt nobody  
Some things sure can sweep me off my feet  
Burning down the house _

_He thinks I'm sexy._ Jackie smiled to herself and then turned around to face Hyde, giving him a smoldering glare as she moved for his benefit. "Steven Hyde, are you flirting with me again?"

"Maybe," he said, wearing his own scorching look and gripping her hips tightly. "Then again… maybe not. Guess you'll never know."

Rather than gracing Hyde with the response she suspected he was fishing for, Jackie simply took advantage of the slower tempo building inside the music and moved in closer to him, sliding her arms up and over his shoulders. Subtly pulling his head down to meet with hers, she let her fingers meander through the hair just above the nape of his neck, instantly causing his sleepy eyelids to fall closed and his arms to tighten their hold around her body. Extremely pleased with his reaction, Jackie smiled; she was the only one in his world, at this very moment, and she knew it. "You have a crush on me, Steven," she said, closing her own eyes.

Hyde grinned, his eyes still closed as he reveled in the sweet content that Jackie was giving him.

Without announcing his song change, the DJ flipped on "Drive" by The Cars, replacing the faster pace of the previous song and causing the entire crowd to pair up. Jackie smiled deliciously at her date. "You're not getting out of this one, Steven."

"I wasn't even gonna try."

_Who's gonna tell you when  
It's too late  
Who's gonna tell you things  
Aren't so great _

Already in slow-dance position, the two simply slowed their bodies down to a mere crawl, forever determined to be slower than the rest of the crowd—forever destined to be different.

"Mmm. I like this song," Jackie cooed, nuzzling her head against Hyde's chest.

_You can't go on  
Thinking nothing's wrong  
Who's gonna drive you home tonight_

Hyde simply grinned and shut his eyes, wrapping his arms even tighter around her as they danced, returning her amorous embrace. He liked it, too; it was giving him a reason to dance with her, again….

_February 14, 1978_

Who's gonna pick you up  
When you fall

_Hyde never forgot that frilly red dress or the red flower that pinned up her hair on one side; it was those little extra touches that made her stand out from the other girls. He could still remember the pride he felt that the hottest chick in the Point Place high school gym was dancing with him_—_and was, in fact, his. But it wasn't the rest of the room he was focused on. It was her. It was the twist of her side, the smell of her hair, the sweet hum of her voice in his ear as they swayed to the music that had him lulled into a feeling he'd never before known: peace. _

Who's gonna hang it up  
When you call

_After having thought they were over, Hyde now gripped her hand, half-listening as she rambled on about balloons and streamers and decorations for the dance. "...and then Fez opened the back door and like twenty of them flew out and Mrs. Pajak yelled at him in front of everyone," she said, giggling. After a moment, she stopped her jollity and pulled back to look him in the eyes. _

Who's gonna pay attention  
To your dreams

_"Steven? You're being quiet." He could see the fear sweep over her face; concern was in her voice. "Are you still mad at me?"_

_"No," he muttered softly. But he could see it in her eyes, she was still worried._

Who's gonna plug their ears  
When you scream

_"I meant what I said earlier, Steven...I love you." Without a reply to give her, he simply pulled her close and continued to dance. He always hated when she said that, never knowing how to respond. Suspecting that he might love her too wasn't enough, he had to know. And at this point in their relationship, the only thing he knew for sure was that he didn't know a fucking thing—except that he was actually enjoying this bullshit holiday. So, he leaned back, cupped her soft cheeks and gave her a kiss, doing his best to wash away all the things said that weren't meant, hopeful leaving only the good to be remembered… _

_You can't go on  
Thinking nothing's wrong  
Who's gonna drive you home tonight_

Hyde opened his eyes and found himself still dancing with the girl in red, the most beautiful one in the place—but this time six years older and no longer scared, not of him anyway. "Jackie," he softly called in her ear, giving it a tender kiss. "Give me a kiss."

"Steven."

"Come on, Jackie, you know we both want to...Just one. Just to see. Aren't you curious?"

_Who's gonna hold you down  
When you…shake  
Who's gonna come around  
When you break _

Silence was her only response as he rocked her from side to side; she had no meaningful argument to convey. He was right; she wanted to kiss him more than anything. The desire consumed her thoughts, and the curiosity challenged her will to power. And not helping her faltering conscience's cause one bit was the alcohol that coursed through her veins, clouding her normally reasonable judgment. Right now, it was telling her that one little tiny kiss with her ex-boyfriend couldn't hurt anybody—_reasonable_, she figured. Besides, no one would ever find out—aside from the crowd of fifteen hundred that currently flanked them on every side. More convincing though was his willing mouth, so dangerously close to hers as it suckled at the skin on her neck and jaw line. She knew it was only a matter of time before their lips met, so she might as well do it on her own terms. All reasonable thoughts, Jackie told herself, all conveniently giving her permission to do _exactly_ what she'd been wanting to do since grade school: kiss Steven Hyde.

_You can't go on  
Thinking nothing's wrong  
Who's gonna drive you home tonight_

Jackie lifted her head and signed her lips away to him with the simple act of eye contact. It was all she had to do; Hyde instantly understood the look of silent permission she was giving him. He was finally free to kiss her. So, completely forgetting about his girlfriend, therefore resolute in his decision, Hyde moved in to seize Jackie's lips, surprised by the rush of adrenaline that tore through his body upon contact.

"_Hyde_," Eric shouted over the music, reluctantly interrupting. "Hey, man." His eyes nervously darted around the glittered ballroom, trying to look at anything but the intimate moment between Jackie and Hyde.

Their lips having barely made contact, both Jackie and Hyde looked up, startled and wide eyed. "Forman," Hyde muttered, pausing in near fear of the judgment he assumed his friend would impose upon him. "What's up, man?"

"Dude, where were you guys?"

"Looking for you," Hyde snapped, his guilt showing. "...'cause you guys ditched us."

Eric smugly raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I can see that." But regardless of his outward display, he felt awkward on the inside and nearly forgot why he had come over in the first place. "Oh. Um, Donna sent me to find you guys and tell you that we got a table. So…"

Jackie looked up at Hyde, waiting for his response—_their_ mutual response. She watched him look around nervously. "Donna?"

"Yeah, she's way over there, so… she can't see over here," Eric assured him.

"Oh," was all Hyde had to say.

Eric nodded dumbly. "Yeah, ok. So... you coming?"

Hyde finally made a glance in Jackie's direction, searching her eyes for the answer. _Ditch him_ was at the top of his personal list. But her already big eyes widened and merely gestured toward the promised table. Hyde sighed. "_Yeah_, we're coming."

Kelso, Brooke and Donna all waited in silence at their small table. Eric had left to find Jackie and Hyde nearly five minutes before. Lost in the crowd, and apparently not concerned about being found, the two had successfully eluded the rest of the group for over an hour, minus the brief glimpse Donna and Brooke had caught of them on the dance floor. And at this point, Donna was kicking herself for not dragging them off by their ears when she had the chance.

Suddenly, Eric walked up. "Hey, I found the tipsy twins." Jackie and Hyde approached the table, joined hand in hand and grinning like two guilty Cheshire cats that swallowed two Clydesdale-sized canaries.

"Well, well," Kelso bellowed in gritty condescension, "_Jackie and Hyde_. Nice of you two to finally join us!"

"Yeah, we've been looking for you guys," Donna added, considerable less grouchy than she had been earlier. "Sit. We ordered another round of shots."

Hyde grinned, intrigued. "Another?" Donna could only giggle her response. _Oh yeah_, he thought, _she's hammered_; he and Jackie were free and clear. He placed his hand on the small of Jackie's back and directed her to the only empty chair in sight. Once she was seated, he realized that there were no more chairs, anywhere.

Everyone was sitting around the table, except him. "Well, this sucks," he announced.

After a series of glances around the table, Jackie jumped up.

"Sit down, Steven. I'll sit on your lap." Without hesitation, Hyde sat and pulled her down with him. The table froze and seemed to turn its attention to Donna, who was oblivious to the nostalgic seating arrangement. Her only concern was the big round tray of rum and cokes that their waitress slapped down in the middle of the table.

"Wahoo!" Donna shouted. "Pay this nice girl, Eric!" And he did, instantly earning a round of thanks from his friends.

Grabbing a glass and raising it high, Donna gestured for everyone to join her. "To Kelso and Brooke!"

"_To Kelso and Brooke!"_

"Thirty one days!" Kelso added, following with a kiss for his smiling bride to be. With a final raise, they all drank to the happy couple.

"_Thirty one days!"_ Jackie took her drink and set it down, determined to try and distract herself from Steven thoughts, which was hard to do from his lap, especially with his arms so tenderly wrapped around her and her mind so dangerously focused on every detail of him.

"Oh my god," she blurted, having a sudden non-Steven thought. "Did you guys all see that ghost lady?"

"_YES!!"_

* * *

_One hour later - 11:54 p.m._

_The three girls are on the dance floor, while the boys sit around the table, playing a half-assed game of quarters._

"_Rockin' the Casbah" by The Clash fills the Grand Ballroom._

…_As soon as the shareef was  
Outta their hair  
The jet pilots wa-a-a-ailed _

Bobbing his head to the music, Hyde lifted his arm slightly and strategically slammed his quarter face down on the table.

_Clink!_

He and Kelso nodded at each other, sharing an evil grin. "Sorry, Forman," Hyde said, turning to Eric with a taunting smirk. "_Drink!_"

_The shareef don't like it  
Rockin' the Casbah  
Rock the Casbah_

Eric slurred out his displeasure. "I call bullshit!"

Hyde shook his head. "No, man. You can't call bullshit in quarters. It's… _quarters_."

"Oh, well that's bullshit," Eric quipped with a silly giggle, rather proud of his own funny, before becoming depressed again. "I suck at quarters."

_The shareef don't like it  
Rockin' the Casbah  
Rock the Casbah_

Hyde grinned at Kelso again. Stupid Forman, that's what made it so funny. "_Drink_," he repeated, without an ounce of mercy in his voice. So Eric did, swallowing down his sixth shot of Goldschlager with a queasy gulp, prompting Hyde and Kelso to scoot their chairs back a foot from the table. Hyde grimaced. "Man, you better not puke."

_The shareef don't like it—He thinks it's not kosher!  
Rockin' the Casbah  
Rock the Casbah_

Kelso wore a similarly disgusted look. "Yeah, man. You're one of my oldest friends and all, but I'll ditch you in a second if you hurl."

Hyde nodded in agreement, his face scrunched up in what was now grossed-out concern.

"I'm not gonna…" Eric gagged, "...hurl."

From out of nowhere, Jackie threw herself, exhausted and dewy, onto Hyde's lap, securing her arms around his neck. "Oh my god, Donna's gone crazy," she giggled, "I can't get her off the dance floor!"

Kelso glanced around, searching for his best girl. "Hey, where's Brooke?"

"I had her stay with Donna," Jackie paused to catch her breath. "There's guys _all over_ her. I think they like her boobs in that Ginger dress! Plus, she's super trashed!" Jackie couldn't control her giggling fit, and completely captivated by her, Hyde squeezed her body playfully as a drunken Kelso stumbled away from the table to retrieve the other two girls. Jackie looked around at the messy table. "Oh my god, did you guys finish _all_ those shots?"

"Uh, yeah. Well, mostly Forman did," Hyde answered.

The music stopped, giving the DJ his opportunity to announce that the costume contest would start in five minutes. In the meantime, he claimed he was going to "slow things down a bit." It was right then that "Time after time" by Cyndi Lauper suddenly warmed the dance floor as every couple came together to slow-dance.

Hyde saw trails as he glanced over at Eric and tried to focus on him, preparing to crack a joke at his woozy friend's expense. A few seconds older, and unsuccessful in his attempt to string together a coherent thought, he returned his smiling eyes to Jackie's face. "Hey. You still owe me that kiss."

_Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick  
And think of you  
Caught up in circles  
Confusion is nothing new_

"Steven," Jackie chided as she looked around and took another gulp of her Margarita. "Everyone will see and yell at us, and for good reason."

"No one's here and it's dark," he argued, squeezing her close. "Come on."

Jackie gestured toward their queasy, yet quiet, fly on the table. "Eric's _right_ there, Steven."

_Flashback—warm nights  
Almost left behind  
Suitcase of memories  
Time after—_

Hyde shifted his distorted vision back over to Eric. "Yeah, but look at him," he said, his words running together as they both watched Eric blankly stare at the beads of condensation dripping down Brooke's nearly empty Margarita glass, his flushed cheek resting on the sticky table. "Forman's gone bye bye, Jackie."

Jackie snickered over at Eric, unaware that Hyde's attention was no longer on his friend, but on her, his fuzzy sight and drunken determination set exclusively on her full lips.

"Jackie."

_Sometimes you picture me  
I'm walking too far ahead  
You're calling to me  
I can't hear what you've said_

Jackie shifted her own foggy gaze to find Hyde's glassy blue eyes staring intently into hers. At the same time, she felt his left hand slide over her ear and into her hair, gripping her head as he pulled it toward his. All sense of time slowed, and her heart lept inside her chest, the moment she felt his soft lips connect with her own, his mouth guiding hers open, finally freeing their tongues to join for the first time in half a decade.

_Then you say "Go slow"  
I fall behind  
The second hand unwinds_

Sadly, Jackie found him unfamiliar, not recognizing his lips like she thought she would. He felt new, and it took a moment for both of them to adjust to each other—just like with any first kiss. But as they did, she noticed that his kiss had not changed at all. It was still incredible. No one had altered or tainted him over time; no girl had yet left her mark. A small piece of the boy Jackie Burkhart once loved still existed. He had not died in the arms of a Las Vegas stripper five years before—only fallen asleep, she figured. The thought filled her heart with hope and sent her crashing into him with everything she had, desperate to wake him up.

_If you're lost—you can look and you will find me  
Time after time  
If you fall—I will catch you, I'll be waiting  
Time after time_

All thinking ceased as the kiss deepened and turned heated, their lips moving against each other's fervently and their tongues using every opportunity to savor the taste of one another. The two kissed like lovers who had been starved of each other for five long years: ravenously, leaving them both lost in the sudden fulfillment.

"God, baby," Jackie whimpered in between kisses, "I missed you so much."

As Hyde breathed his reply against her lips—his kisses building in intensity—the two were abruptly discovered.

"_Jackie!"_ Donna shouted.

"Oh my god."

"_Oh god,_ I think I'm gonna puke."

"Oh, crap."

"Alright!"

**November 1, 1984 – 12:00 a.m.**

To Be Continued.

* * *

Yay, it's November 1st, the beginning of the story which, by the way, ends the night of December 1st. For now though, I beg for another thirty seconds of your time and ask you to please review—love it or hate it. And remember, I accept anonymous ones, too. Thank you. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: First Time's a Charm**

**A/N: **You guys are seriously the best damn readers on this entire site. Thank you SO much for all the reviews. Please keep them coming, because _they, _and_ you,_ keep _me_ going—honestly. Sorry about the wait; I've been super busy. So, because I didn't update as quickly as I would've liked, I made this chapter long to make it worth the wait. I hope it does. Hopefully it will never be this long again (the wait that is). My goal is to update every Sunday evening (Monday at latest) from now on.

**Warning:** This chapter is rated M for dirty stuff and lots of language.

* * *

**Previously: **

"God, baby," Jackie whimpered in between kisses, "I missed you so much."

As Hyde breathed his reply against her lips—his kisses building in intensity—the two were abruptly discovered…

* * *

**October 31, 1984 **

**11:59 p.m.**

Hyde was barely existing in the outside world, so lost in Jackie's affectionate kisses that he nearly missed her confession.

"God, baby, I missed you so much."

It hit him like a hammer to his chest, though she would have never known it the way he so casually responded. "Yeah?" he asked her quietly, his lips delicately sweeping over hers as he patiently waited for his answer.

Jackie simply nodded and Hyde closed his eyes as he slowly slid his tongue back into her mouth. It was then that he kissed her with everything he had to give, which in this life—he knew—wasn't much. But for tonight…it was all hers.

"_Jackie!_" Donna shouted, her brow furrowed in what looked more like confusion than anger.

Jackie pulled away from Hyde and covered her guilty lips with four burnt-sienna-painted fingernails. "Oh my god."

"_Oh, God,_ I think I'm gonna puke," Eric divulged, sliding back from the table and dropping his head between his knees. Donna ran over to make sure he was alright while Hyde simply frowned as his friend blew his spaghetti dinner underneath the table.

"Oh, crap." Hyde jumped off his chair, taking Jackie along with him. The two stood back and watched in horror.

"Alright!" Kelso exclaimed, his arm around Brooke as she looked on with pure repugnance. "That's awesome. Eric puked in a club!" He smiled at Hyde, who smiled back. "Man, just imagine all the burns this is gonna generate for us!"

Hyde nodded, almost in awe. "I know. It's crazy. I already have like six in my head."

The bitter sounds of heaving followed by splashes resonated over Cyndi Lauper's voice and elicited shared looks of disgust around the table. Brooke buried her head against Kelso's chest. "Ew. Michael. I can't listen."

His tongue pressed tightly between his teeth, Hyde grinned, his chest beginning to vibrate with uncontrollable, silent chuckles; he was finding himself insanely amused at the entire scene. "Well, I'm thinking it's time to find a new table." he said and picked Jackie back up, making her squeal before walking away to do just that.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," Brooke called out, her voice instantly switching to 'mother' tone. "Get back here, Hyde."

"What?" he said innocently, turning around to face her. His eyes were wide, obviously not understanding the cause for the sudden reprimand, and his arms were still holding a giggling Jackie, who also seemed oblivious as she leaned in to nibble on his ear.

Brooke stood with her arms folded. "Um, could you…possibly…put my friend down, please?" she said, in the nicest way possible, causing Hyde to, in return, grin sweetly.

"Sure." He looked at Jackie. "I've gotta put you down."

Jackie's bottom lip jutted forward as she gave him her most adorable, boy-tested pout—which completely had its intended effect. Hyde lightly kissed her lips and smiled. "God, you're cute," he whispered, forgetting all about Brooke as he re-claimed Jackie's mouth in a deep kiss.

Brooke tapped her foot and leaned toward the pickled pair as they kissed. "_Ahem!"_

"You know, you really should listen when she does that. For a librarian, she's pretty scrappy, man." Disconnecting from Jackie, Hyde glared over at Kelso and then smiled weakly at Brooke, the only chick, besides Donna, who never seemed to be swayed by his charms.

"Fine." He bent at the knees and lowered Jackie until her boots met the floor, only to watch her get whisked away by Brooke.

"Huh. Too bad," Kelso said, sighing loudly as he grabbed a chair from a nearby table and sat down. Hyde did the same, rolling his eyes.

"_What_, Kelso."

"Nothing. I just really liked Jessica, that's all; she was hot. And we always got free food when she was working. It's too bad she's going to drop you like a bad habit when she finds out you've been frenching Jackie all night."

"Man, Kelso," Hyde slurred. "Give it a rest."

"What?" Kelso said, frowning. "I haven't said anything to you all night about Jackie."

"But you will. So I'm telling you in advance to shut it. See, but then you won't listen; you'll forget and you'll start up again and I'll have to do this…" Hyde's face turned angry as he frogged his friend.

"Ow, man," Kelso grabbed his arm and began to rub. "Yeah, I'll probably totally deserve it, too. I never listen."

They both shared a nod.

_Meanwhile, in the women's restroom…_

Brooke leaned into the mirror and used her middle finger to wipe away the excess lipstick that made it past her lip line. "Jackie, you know I love you but I really think you need to think about what you're doing."

Feeling flushed, Jackie pulled off her red Mounds t-shirt—revealing the cream colored tank top she wore underneath—and began to fix her hair. "I know. But, he's just _so_ _cute _and _God_, the way he kisses…" Jackie's whine turned into a frustrated whimper accompanied by a stomp, a bounce and a backwards head thrust that prompted Brooke to give her a strange look as she continued. "I remember after we broke up: I would lay in my bed and, after I finished crying, I would pray to God for one more kiss from him." She groaned. "And God, now I remember why."

Brooke smiled. "I hate when they do that," she said, turning back to the mirror and re-positioning her Nancy Reagan wig, "Get ya with one kiss. Michael does that to me."

"Yeah, Michael was a good kisser. Oh God, but he was terrible at first. _You_ lucked out; he was all over the place before—it wasn't pretty." The two girls shared a laugh at Kelso's expense and moved to make their way out of the bathroom when Brooke stopped Jackie.

"Hey, before we go out there, I just want you to remember that we've all been drinking and that if Colin finds out what happened, it's over for you two. And you love him." Jackie smiled and rested her head on her friend's arm.

"I do, don't I. And he loves me."

"Yes, he does… a lot, Jackie. So just promise me you'll stop kissing Hyde, cause don't forget, he has someone, too, and she's really nice and I think she really loves him and…" Brooke sighed. "Jackie, you have to stop. It's just wrong."

"I know," Jackie agreed. "I'm gonna tell Steven that he has to stop kissing me."

"Jackie…"

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Fine! And _I'll_ stop kissing _him_."

"Ok."

Both girls stepped out of the restroom to find Donna leaned up against the wall opposite the men's restroom. "Ew, is he still throwing up?" Jackie asked.

"No, he's fine now. He's just cleaning up. Hey, what the hell was goin' on with you and…"

Just then Eric stepped out of the restroom, smiling and fixing his Gilligan hat.

"You guys, I actually found gold flakes in my teeth…you know, from the Goldschlager."

Jackie grimaced at him. "_Gross_. I hope you cleaned your mouth out after that."

Eric grinned. "Wow, Jackie, that is _exactly_ what I was about to say to Hyde." The two shared a brief glare before all four made their way over to Hyde and Kelso's new table—each watching as the DJ continued announcing the names of the finalists in the costume contest.

"…couple number 477: Bill and Regina. Come on, Bill. Don't be shy… And finally, couple number 602: Eric and Donna." The DJ placed his hand over his eyes to block out the glare of the light above him as he stared into near darkness. "Do we have an Eric and Donna? Gilligan and Ginger?"

"Right here!" Jackie shouted, shoving Donna forward.

Donna's face lit up, excited at the prospect of winning the $500 Grand prize. She grabbed Eric's hand and they both ran up on stage, followed quickly by Kelso and Brooke, who ran up to cheer them on. Jackie and Hyde, on the other hand, casually stayed back for two entirely different reasons.

Collecting her thoughts, Jackie leaned against the edge of the group's new table when Hyde walked over. The light of the stage against the darkness of the ballroom allowed her to only see his silhouette as he stood before her. "Hey," he said, moving in close, regaining contact with her as he gently took hold of her hips.

"Steven, I think we need to talk about what happened." Jackie moved her head to the side as Hyde leaned in to kiss her, sending his lips instead down a path from her cheek to her ear. "Steven, I have a…" The sudden feeling of his tongue, warm and wet, passing just under her ear forced in a startled breath. "Oh, God, we really should…talk abou…" Instinctively, her eyes closed. Her own body seemed unwilling to assist her in denying him; he had always known just where to touch her, where to kiss her and exactly _when_ to do it. "What happened at the other table…"

"Shh," preceded a thick kiss to her ear, followed by a soft moan. "I like what happened," he whispered, "I think we should make it happen again."

Jackie reflexively swallowed down her nerves as they collected in her throat, deeply entranced by the feeling of his hot breath on her ear and his hands as they gripped her hips and pulled her body against his. Every breath she took brought her chest into contact with his, stimulating her nipples to harden beneath the thin material of her tank top. "This can only turn out bad, Ste...Oh, God." Her head fell back, leaving her exposed neck available for his mouth to feast on once more and as his lips came closer to hers, Jackie caved—just like he wanted. "Come here," she ordered as she grabbed his face and crushed her lips hard into his, their mouths opening instantly for the deeper contact. Jackie moaned as his slick tongue passed sensually over hers.

"God…Steven…"

As Jackie and Hyde kissed on one side of the ballroom, Eric and Donna prepared to jump for joy on the other. "And the grand prize goes to… Bill and Regina!"

"Boo!" Kelso yelled as everyone else cheered. "Boo!"

Back on the other side of the room, Hyde removed his lips from Jackie's to focus on the soft skin near her ear. "Let's go somewhere."

"Why?" she breathed out, her eyes still closed, barely registering much more than the feeling of his body as he practically surrounded her.

"So we can be alone," he answered. "They're gonna be back. And I wanna…"

"Fuck!"

Wide-eyed, Hyde straightened up to look at her. "What?"

"Go!" Jackie immediately shoved him away. "They're back!"

"Oh." Hyde stumbled back into a nearby chair and cupped his palms underneath his chin, his elbows on the table—a guiltier man he could not make. "Hey," he said, grinning as his four friends walked up. "So where'd you guys go?"

Eric made a face, sharing it one by one with his three companions. "Uh, up on the big, hundred foot stage with the twenty gigantic thousand watt lights beaming down on it."

"Oh." Hyde's guilty grin grew. "Cool..."

* * *

_Thirty-six minutes later…_

_The gang is sitting around the table, drinking, talking and laughing. Brooke is on Kelso's lap and next to them, clockwise around the table sits Hyde, Donna, Eric, and Jackie. _

"_Rock This Town" by the Stray Cats suddenly gets thrown into rotation by the club's resident DJ._

"Oh my God!" Jackie jumped out her seat and ran around the table to Hyde. "Dance with me!"

_Well, my baby and me  
Went out late Saturday night  
I had my hair piled high  
And my baby just looked so right…_

"Uh..." Hyde looked up at her. "No." He didn't dance, not to this crap.

"Steven, you're my date!" Her temporary, and probably fake, frown turned back into pure excitement. "Me and Fez took swing lessons a few years ago and I never _ever_ get to use them!"

Hyde beamed at her with feigned excitement. "Oh my God! Really?_" _Then his face fell. "No."

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Fine. I'll go find somebody who will," she bit back snidely before practically skipping off onto the dance floor.

Hyde sneered. "Fine." He sat idly by while his date easily found herself another dance partner. The guy she chose seemed more than happy to appease the beautiful brunette begging for a few minutes of his time. As Hyde glared at the two, Eric ordered another bucket o' beer.

The waitress nodded. "No more shots?"

"No, I think we're good," Eric said, laughing nervously as he looked around at his friends—his extremely unsupportive friends.

"Why don't you tell her why you don't want any more shots, Mr. Chuck! First name, Up." Kelso yelled across the table and stuck out his tongue. "I'm sure she'd like to know!"

"Man, shut-up Kelso!" Eric unimaginatively retorted. "You…You suck."

At the edge of the table, Hyde sat oblivious to the confrontation. "What the hell is she doing?" Glowering, he stared down Jackie and her new friend, scoffing as they laughed and danced. "Man, she doesn't even know that guy. I'll bet Colin wouldn't like that too much."

Eric grinned sarcastically. "Yeah, Hyde. 'Cause_ that's _what would bother Colin. The swing-dancing. Not the fact that your tongue was halfway down her throat less than an hour ago."

"Shut up." Hyde sulked in his chair as each couple got up to join Jackie on the dance floor, finally leaving the him hell alone. His drunk fiesta was turning into a complete downer, and he knew exactly why. She had taken her attention away, and her lips, and now he was stuck in a fog, choking on the past that she had accidentally kicked up, that they had kicked up together...

* * *

_Twenty-two minutes later_

_1:21 a.m._

"_Eyes without a face" by Billy Idol echoes through the Grand Ballroom._

_I'm all out of hope  
One more bad dream  
Could bring a fall_

Hyde sat alone at the table with Eric's bucket o' beer all to himself. No one had yet returned from the dance floor, but he didn't mind, not much anyway; it gave him a moment alone to think about what the hell he was doing tonight. He had actually found himself jealous of the guy dancing with Jackie. And it wasn't mild jealousy. It was more of a burning, wanting to bash the skinny fuck's face in, type of jealousy. He spent ten minutes watching the asshole's hands grab at her hips and his head move in close to hers as he whispered things in her ear, making her giggle. It was all bugging the hell out of him, and he couldn't figure out why.

_When I'm far from home  
Don't call me on the phone  
To tell me you're alone_

He took another swig of his beer as he stared down at the peeled off labels of bottles gone by and tried to think of his own girl. But her face was blurred in his mind and he struggled to see it, figuring her image might snap him out of his own stupidity. Drunk and desperate, Hyde closed his eyes and smiled when he finally saw her. She was giving him an incredible smile as he hovered over her under the covers, giggling at something he had said, her strawberry blond hair spread over his pillow like wildfire…

"_Baby, we can't stay in bed all day," she had said softly, her words cut off by his lips as they covered hers for the millionth time that August afternoon. _

_Kissing the corner of her mouth as it turned up to smile again, Hyde followed a trail of kisses down to her neck. "Why not?"_

"_Cause it's three in the afternoon. Isn't it supposed to be wrong to be in bed this late?"_

_Hyde propped himself up to answer her. "Well, I heard that there's an exception for when there's a REALLY hot chick in your bed."_

"_Ohhh, see I didn't know that," she replied, playing along and smiling so bright that he couldn't help but smile back. "I love you," she had whispered. God, he was growing to hate those words.  
_

_Upon his silence, Hyde watched the usual disappointment sadden her chestnut-brown eyes, and wondered why she always did that to herself. He never returned her sentiment, not that he didn't want to; he just wasn't there yet. Instead, he did that day what he always did: kissed away her sadness until the next time…_

"Steven! So you're just gonna be a bum all night and sit here?" Jackie asked, plopping down next to him. Hyde kept his head down; looking at her only proved to cloud his mind and mess him up worse.

"Looks like it."

_It's easy to deceive  
It's easy to tease  
But hard to get release_

Jackie couldn't help but notice how down he looked and softened her tone. "What's the matter, Steven? Are you tired?" Hyde was a little surprised; she knew him better than he thought.

"Yeah," he sighed. "I got up early."

"Poor baby. Well, I bet you'd wake up if you danced with me," she said, her face hopeful.

"Jackie, I said no. I don't want to dance. Why don't you just go dance with your little friend?"

_Les yeux sans visage  
Eyes without a face  
Les yeux sans visage  
Your eyes without a face_

"Cause I'd rather dance with you." Jackie gave him a small pout. "Please, Steven. _Dance with me_." Hyde looked at her, stunned. How the hell did she do that? Those words had come out of her mouth like pure sex, making his heart race and the air liquefy as it entered his lungs. He was about to plant a drunken kiss on her lips when Brooke ran up, nearly in tears.

_I spent so much time  
Believing all the lies  
To keep the dream alive_

"Hyde, you've gotta help."

He looked up. "What's going on?"

"Michael's about to get into a fight. Some guy grabbed my butt and Michael's drunk and there's three of them and he won't let it go. He's _so_ pissed."

As Hyde stood, Jackie pushed him in the direction Brooke was pointing, where a gathering crowd was already forming. "Steven, go."

_Now it makes me sad  
It makes me mad at truth  
For loving what was you_

"Crap. Why can't we ever go out without getting into a fight?" he shouted, throwing his watch down on the table. "I always get hit when I'm drunk! And I don't like gettin' hit!"

Jackie shoved him again. "Stop complaining and just go and help Michael!"

"Dammit. Go find Forman and Donna and go wait by that exit right there. And take my watch."

Jackie and Brooke did what he said, finding Eric and Donna quickly; and together, they all waited by the exit. It was only a few minutes later that Hyde and Kelso walked up, a little beaten but smiling.

"Alright, we need to book it," Hyde informed them.

Brooke swept her thumb over Kelso's bloody lip. "Baby, why did you do that?"

"I was defending your honor," he replied simply. She smiled sadly and kissed his cheek.

"Aw, well, thank you."

"Hey, I defended your honor, too. Don't I get a kiss?" Hyde said, frowning.

Brooke laughed and shook her head. "Come here. Thank you," she said, giving Hyde a kiss on the cheek and leaving him with a satisfied smile.

"You're welcome. Now let's get the hell outta here..."

* * *

_A few minutes later…_

Opening a door at the end of a long hallway, the gang found themselves in the Atrium level bar: back where they had began their journey. An exit led them down a ramp and outside to where the earth seemed under water. It was pouring, and all six friends stood underneath a small awning, taking in the Chicago landscape through a billion thick raindrops.

"So who's going to get the van?" Kelso yelled over the deafening downpour.

A pentagon of raised eyebrows stared back at him until Eric's slurred words slipped through the thundering noise. "You are. It's your van."

"Yeah, but I'm too drunk to drive,_ Eric! _Whoever's driving us home should have to go get the van," Kelso reasoned. Then he waited, assuming hands would eagerly fly up to drive them all home. But none did. "So, come on, who's driving us home?"

"Not me."

"Not me."

"Not me."

"No way, man."

Hyde was too busy staring at a puddle collecting below his feet to answer. "Hyde?"

"Huh?"

Kelso studied his friend's unsteady stance and blank face. "Do you think you could make it home, man?"

"Kelso, I don't think I could make it over to that pole right there," Hyde said, pointing to a small anchoring pole a few feet away.

"Well, what the hell? What's the rest of your excuses?" Kelso angrily asked the remaining four.

"I'm the mother of your children and I'm drunk and tired and I'm not driving, Michael!"

"Fine!" Kelso turned angrily to Eric. "_Eric?"_

"Man, I can barely…_talk_…how the hell…"

Kelso moved on. "_Donna!"_

"I'm trashed."

"_Jackie!"_

"I just don't want to." Kelso scowled at her. "Oh, and I'm trashed," Jackie added with a giggle. Feeling good, she turned happily to Hyde and for the first time noticed the deep red gash along his cheekbone. "Steven, you got cut."

"No, I got hit. There's a big difference," he replied, matter-of-factly. Jackie reached up and smoothed her thumb around the outside perimeter of his wound, sticking out her bottom lip in sympathy.

"You poor baby." She lifted onto her tippy-toes, pulling his head down to gently kiss the clean skin under his cut, succeeding in making his eyes close as he leaned into her lips. "You're so brave," she whispered, kissing just little lower, and lower…

"Michael, just go get the van; we're staying in a hotel," Brooke announced, "Oh, and take Hyde with you before those two start making out again."

"Fine! Come on, Hyde!" Kelso, with his swelling eye, pulled Hyde away, and the two made a dash for the van, getting soaked along the way...

* * *

The Chicago Hilton

Room 418

Forty-nine minutes later.

Kelso walked into the plush room first, groaning his pleasure as he threw himself onto the double bed closest to the door. "Ahhh! This is so much better than the Motel 6!"

Hyde followed, collapsing over both pillows of the same bed. "You're welcome."

"Thank you, Hyde!" "…Steven!" Everyone yelled.

"So how are we splitting up the rooms? Boys and girls?" Brooke asked, sitting down at a small table.

Kelso shot up and grabbed her, pulling her down onto the bed with him. "No, mama, you're sleeping with me," he said, leaving growling kisses against her neck and making her smile.

"I don't care what we do, I just wanna sleep," Hyde grumbled, pulling a pillow over his head.

Donna rolled her eyes and walked over to him. "Why don't you just gimme the key to the other room? Me and Eric and Jackie will sleep in there. You three take this one. Is that alright?" She asked, looking around at everyone.

"Whatever." Hyde tossed up the keys and got off the bed, moving quickly over to the other one near the bathroom. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." He lay down and, as he watched Jackie leave with Eric and Donna, he found himself disappointed that she didn't even glance in his direction. Staring at the stained, and seemingly swirling, ceiling above his head, Hyde went over the night's events. It had been a strange eight hours and he couldn't even remember the point at which his mind had crossed over to this drunken world where Jackie reigned supreme.

Hyde rubbed his face with his palms and looked over to find Kelso and Brooke fast asleep in each other's arms, their clothes still wet from the rain and their bodies still above the covers. He suddenly wished Jackie had stayed; even though he knew it was a ridiculous thought, he wanted someone to lie with, too. Looking around the room, his eyes passed over the clock: 2:37 am.

"Crap."

Pushing all thoughts of Jackie aside, Hyde quickly grabbed the phone and dialed Point Place. "Hey, were you sleeping? ... Sorry … It was pretty cool … No, I'm still in Chicago. I just wanted to let you know that we're staying the night out here …" Hyde laughed. "Yeah, can't you tell? … Oh, man, everything, tequila, beer, Jack … A lot … Pretty fucked up, baby … Uh, Forman, Donna, Kelso, Brooke and um, Jackie." Hyde swallowed hard, praying he could manage his own guilt. "… Yep … Nope … Yep … Just hung out … A hotel room … Kelso and Brooke … In another room! What's with the twenty questions? …" To Hyde surprise, Jackie walked in as Jessica was talking. He brought his index finger to his lips and Jackie simply nodded as she sat down on the edge of his bed. "Yeah, probably sometime in the afternoon … Why don't you just tell me now? … Well, what's so important that you can't tell me over the phone? … Fine, whatever … I'm not! … Yes … I know you do, Jess … Ok … Bye."

Jackie smiled as Hyde hung up. "They fell asleep quick," she said, motioning toward Kelso and Brooke.

Hyde didn't bother looking; he just wanted her to leave. Her presence only made him stupid and it took a brief conversation with his girlfriend to make him realize it. "Yeah. So what's up? Why'd you come back?"

"Donna's throwing up. Eric's in there with her and the noises were grossing me out. So I left."

"So what, you wanna trade?"

"Well… I was kinda hoping to just sleep with Brooke. But…" She gave a frustrated sigh in the direction of the sleeping couple and stood up. "Hey Steven, gimme a hand." Jackie tugged and pulled at the blankets beneath her best friend and her first love, having a hard time as the two grumbled and squirmed. "Help me cover them. It's chilly out tonight and Michael gets cold easily."

Hyde helped her and it wasn't long before the pair was buried and snuggled up beneath the covers with Kelso smiling up at his two friends. "I love you guys."

"Yeah, yeah. Go to sleep, man. You're driving us home tomorrow."

"Okay."

Jackie turned to smile at Hyde, but instantly frowned the moment she saw his face. "Come here, Steven." She walked around the bed and grabbed his hand, leading him into the bathroom. "Sit," she ordered, pointing at the sink.

"Why?"

"Sit down. I'm gonna clean up your cut."

Hyde hesitated, but when she raised her eyebrows and tapped her foot, he hopped up on the counter. "You don't have to."

"I want to. Now, sit still." Jackie grabbed a clean washcloth from the towel rack and ran it under warm water. She placed it on his cut and winced when Hyde did.

"Ow."

"Shh. I'm sorry," she said as she dabbed, careful not to hurt him any more. Hyde closed his eyes as she cleaned the rest of his face, now warm from the soft cloth. He could smell her sweet scent and feel her presence; it was soft and tickled even though they weren't in contact other than through the washcloth as it smoothed over his now damp skin. Then he heard a series of clicks and opened his eyes, looking down at the source of the sound—her feet.

"Jackie, take off those damn boots. You look uncomfortable."

"I am uncomfortable," she affirmed.

"Well then take 'em off. Everyone's in bed and you're still walking around with those damn heels on."

Jackie stared at him for a moment; she didn't like to be told what to do, but he had a point. Her feet were on fire. "Fine." She turned around and leaned her back up against him for support as she unzipped her boots and pulled them off one by one. Hyde sat behind her and watched her drop three inches in height.

He chuckled. "God, you're short."

"I'm petite, not short! There's a big difference."

"Well," he grinned. "You're pretty cute either way."

Jackie gave him a playful glare and stepped away from him. "Alright, you're all cleaned up, Cassanova."

Hyde smiled. He wanted to say 'whatever', but it was lost on him tonight, his zen. Whatever that meant. He wasn't sure anymore. All he knew was three things—he was tired, he was drunk and he wanted to undress his ex-girlfriend and do dirty stuff to her. As she walked out of the bathroom, her legs fully exposed to him, Hyde had to control his urges; because his urges were not hers and he had to accept that. She had already stopped him once tonight and damn it… _Jessica_. Why did he keep forgetting about her? Up until tonight, he had convinced himself that he was falling in love with her, but one drunk night happens and he could barely keep his dick in his pants; he wondered if that was a bad sign. _Fuck_, of course it was.

Returning from his thoughts, Hyde suddenly wondered where Jackie had tip-toed off to. "Hey," he whispered as he jumped off the counter and walked out into the dark hotel room. "Jackie?"

"Turn out the bathroom light," he heard her whisper. "It's too bright." Jackie lay back and nervously bit her nails, worried that Hyde would flip out that she was in his bed. The bathroom light went out and she watched his form stop at the foot of the bed.

"Well… I guess I'll just go to the other room then."

"No, Steven, Donna's sick. You can sleep here. It'll be fine. We used to do it all the time, remember."

To Hyde's ears she sounded so young and innocent. In the dark, she was the same girl he remembered which made this dangerous, he thought, _really_ dangerous. "Yeah. But, Jackie…"

"Don't worry. I just wanna sleep, Steven. I'm really tired and all the alcohol has my head spinning."

"Yeah, me, too." Hyde started to climb onto the bed when he suddenly stopped. "I can't Jackie. My clothes are soaked and I can't sleep with them on. I'm just gonna go in the other room."

"No. No. It's ok. I'll stay on my side. You have boxers on, right?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, then, see. Just…come on." Hyde stood up and pulled his t-shirt off, dropping it on the floor, and peeled his wet pants off his legs, leaving him dressed in boxers and a thermal shirt. Dropping a knee onto the bed, Hyde slowly slid into the bed like he was sliding into third base, making Jackie giggle.

"It's like a slumber party," she said in the cutest damn voice he had ever heard in his life.

"Great." As he hesitantly slipped under the covers and lay next to Jackie, Hyde wondered if people typically wanted to fuck her at her slumber parties, 'cause if so, then, she was right, this was exactly like one. With that, he rolled away from her and inched toward the very edge of the bed, determined to go to sleep as quickly as possible.

"Hey, Steven, do you remember that time when Mr. and Mrs. Forman caught us sleeping in your bed and…"

"Jackie," Hyde interrupted.

"Yes, Steven?"

"No more talking. Go to sleep."

"Okay." Jackie rolled over and closed her eyes. A minute went by. "Hey Steven?"

Hyde sighed. "What?"

"Do you remember the game we used to play when we couldn't sleep?" she asked, rolling back over.

"Yes."

"You wanna play? I can't sleep."

"You haven't even tried, Jackie."

"Yes, I have. Now come on, Steven. Roll over."

Hyde groaned, but rolled over nonetheless. "Dammit. You better fall asleep after this." He _needed_ her to sleep—he wasn't sure how much longer he could resist climbing over to her side of the bed and feeling his way up that skirt, again. He could practically taste her lips on his as he settled in, propping his head up with his arm. "Just a few minutes and then you go to sleep."

Jackie squealed quietly, still mindful of the occupied bed on the other side of the room. "Okay! Um, ok, I got one. The Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin?"

"Huh. I'm impressed, Jackie. You got better at this. Um, Zeppelin," Hyde answered. "No, wait. The Stones," he said, smiling to himself.

Jackie wiggled, rather excited to impress him. "See, isn't this fun? Now, it's your turn," she said, patting him on the chest.

Hyde let out a long sigh. "Um… Uh… lip gloss or nail polish?" he submitted unenthusiastically.

"Oh my God… I don't know."

"You have to pick one or the other. You can't pick both."

"I know," Jackie snapped as she pondered over her choices. "Well, I guess…Wait, can I still have clear nail polish?"

"No."

"Oh. Then I guess I'd pick lip gloss and I would just have to wear gloves and oh god, never wear open-toed shoes, again. God, I would die. Okay, it's my turn." Jackie knew she shouldn't ask the next question but that little part of her that usually kept her dumbest ideas at bay was apparently out to lunch and she just couldn't help herself. "Um, Okay. Kissing me _then_ or kissing me _now_. Which is better? You have to pick one."

Hyde froze, gulping loudly. His breath labored beneath his response. "Jackie, I don't think we should…"

"Just answer me Steven, I wanna know," she said softly. "It's not that big of a deal."

Yes, it was. To him, it was. He was rocking unsteadily on the edge. "Now," he answered grittily, fighting his lust and making Jackie shudder underneath her thick covers. "Now or then, Jackie?" In the dark, the sounds of their heavy respirations were thunderous, and it was only intensifying. "Come on. Answer me. I wanna know."

"Now." Before Jackie could process the word that so heatedly came out of her mouth, Hyde grabbed her waist and yanked her body toward him, pausing when they reached each other. Jackie closed her eyes, lost in the familiar feeling he was giving her. This room could have so easily been the basement; the bed could have so easily been his old cot, and tonight, he was the same. So was she.

Still restraining himself, Hyde groaned painfully. "I want you so bad." She could hear him struggling for breath as he choked out his words. "I need to get outta here."

Instinctively, her fingers found the dark brown curls above the nape of his neck. The nurturing side of her wanted to comfort his obvious torture; for it was hers, too. She was struggling for her own breath and fighting against her own body as it seemed to betray her and gravitate toward his. "Yeah, I think you should go, too," she whispered. A whimper fell from her lips as her fingers tightened their grip on his hair, and before she knew it, the sheets rocketed toward the ceiling, replaced immediately by Hyde's body before they settled back down. Jackie gasped but raised her knees in response as he settled naturally in between her thighs and hovered over her in silence. "Steven," she panted. Unable to see his face—her eyes still unadjusted to the dark—she could only feel his hot breath warming her cheek as he spoke.

"Do you remember when we broke up that last time?"

"Yeah," she replied, almost absentmindedly. His hips felt so good between her thighs that Jackie released every thought, except the one that told her to let him inside, and began to gently move her hips.

His entire body engulfed hers, pinning her to the bed with nearly all his weight as he whispered breathily into her delicate ear. "For the longest time…I wished for just one more night with you."

Jackie closed her eyes and swallowed hard. "Me, too." Hyde smiled as his lips found hers in the dark. "God, Steven…"

_August 19, 1977_

_Jackie could still recall how good it felt to have her arms and legs wrapped tightly around Hyde's body as he walked them both into his room. His arms held her torso securely against his and squeezed her tighter with each thick kiss that she placed on his neck; the moans emanating from deep inside his chest told her that he was feeling good, too. It was only a moment later that she felt herself gently fall backwards as he laid her down on his small bed. She giggled while she watched him run back to shut and lock his door. _

_Returning just as quickly as he had left, Hyde pounced on Jackie's small body. _

"_What are you laughing at?" He growled against the ticklish bend of her neck._

"_You," she said, giggling again before turning rather serious. Jackie recalled reaching up to smooth over his coarse beard and watching his eyes smile down at her; she had melted beneath him at the sight. "I think you're cute."_

_He frowned at her response. "Just cute?"_

"_I think you're HOT," she said, fluttering her eyes upwards to accentuate her point. _

_Hyde finally grinned down at her. "Better," was his reply just before he gave her a deep kiss, so intense that her belly turned to butterflies. Her knotted summer blouse was the first article of clothing to come off, followed by his t-shirt. And as they kissed, his hands began to roam the way they always did during their many make-out sessions that summer. But this time was different, things were becoming heated and his fingers were heading farther south toward the zipper of her pants. The feeling of his hand—still cold from their tryst by the fridge—now touching the delicate flesh beneath her panties caused her to gasp. "Steven."_

_Hyde stopped and pulled away to look at her, his eyes glazed over with desire. "What?" he said, almost sadly. She watched his face fall as he registered the reason for her concern. Sighing loudly, he dropped his head on her shoulder. "Come on, Jackie. We don't have to go all the way. I just," In her ear came a deep sigh of frustration followed by several kisses. "...wanna feel you."_

"_I wanna feel you, too. Steven, I WANT to go all the way. I just…"_

_Hyde's head popped up. "You do?"_

"_Yeah," she answered bashfully. "I do…"_

* * *

"Oh god, Steven." Jackie's words tickled Hyde's lips as she hissed them out between a long kiss. They came just as his hand, resting flat on her stomach, made its way up her ribs and cupped her bare breast. Jackie wanted to enjoy it but the cocoon they had created underneath the covers was becoming over-heated, from breath and body heat, and she tried to whip down the covers. 

"No," Hyde said, stopping her. "They'll see."

"It's hot."

"You're hot. God, Jackie," Hyde groaned as he finally got her shirt above her breasts, his hands eagerly rubbing over every inch of exposed skin, including the delicate flesh of her budding nipples. But through his fog, he could see that she was struggling for air. "Here," he said, lifting the covers on the side facing away from the other bed, instantly bringing Jackie back to life; she smiled and moaned as the cool air hit her nearly naked body. Instantly wanting to feel more, she pulled off her tank top and grabbed Hyde's head.

"Kiss me, Steven." As his tongue dipped languidly into Jackie's mouth, and stopping only to pull off his own shirt, Hyde slipped an arm around her waist and groaned at the feeling of skin finally meeting skin.

"God _damn_, you feel good."

Jackie smiled, cuing to Hyde that she was feeling good too, so he wasted no time sitting up to make her smile again. Getting easily past the thick button, he unzipped her skirt and slid it off her legs in one fluid motion…

* * *

"_Are you okay?" Hyde asked, searching Jackie's mis-matched eyes for the answer. There was nervousness there and her lips were rubbing fretfully together. She was naked now, under his covers, and he was still in his boxers; it was the furthest they had ever gone. "Do you want me to stop?"_

"_No," she answered, her voice small and unsure. "I'm just nervous. I've never been with anybody besides Michael. But…I want YOU to be my second, Steven."_

_Hyde simply stared down at her. He was pretty positive that "second" was the best he was ever going to get or had ever gotten before. He wasn't exactly hanging around with virgins, and Jackie was probably as close as he would ever come. In fact, she was SO innocent that that's how he chose to treat the situation—like her first time. "I'll go slow."_

"_Okay. Well, do you think maybe…" She swallowed nervously before her eyes fell away from him. "…never mind."_

"_What?"_

"_Well, I had always dreamed that my first time would have candles and music and a banner but instead, Michael and I just like…did it real quick cause my parents were coming home. It was terrible."_

_Hyde forgot to be "first-time supportive guy" and quickly reverted back to being just "Hyde," non-supportive, callous Hyde. "Yeah, that's not gonna happen. First of all, I don't like candles and second, I'm not doing it to music. I think that might be the stupidest thing I've ever heard." He scoffed at the thought and then watched embarrassment flush over Jackie's face._

"_It's okay," she said dejectedly, tears pooling in her eyes, "I guess I don't need that stuff."_

_Hyde sighed, feeling like the shithead he knew he was. "Jackie," he said, burying his face into her neck, "I'm sorry. I didn't…God, damn it. But I don't have candles, or a… banner," he said through clenched teeth._

_Jackie giggled softly. "I don't need everything, Steven. But, can we just have one?"_

"_I don't know what…I mean," Hyde shut his eyes. His dick was stiff and aching as it pressed against her nude body and he wanted to do whatever the hell would relax and make her happy. "Crap, okay." He slipped out from underneath the covers and flipped through his records, getting more and more frustrated with each one, pissed at his own excellent taste in music. "Damn it!"_

_Jackie giggled at his frustration and at the pole that pointed right at her through his boxers, practically ordering her still. "Hurry, Steven."_

"_Damn it. Okay, I got it." He threw a record on and ran back, climbing under the covers with her. "The Stones. All I got that won't scare you."_

_Childhood living  
Is easy to do  
The things that you wanted  
I bought them for you_

_Jackie smiled. "You're so sweet, Steven."_

"_Shh, no more talking," he whispered. Laying a gentle kiss on her lips first, Hyde quickly removed his boxers and settled back in between her thighs. He couldn't help but notice how terrified she looked. "You're sure, Jackie?" _

_Graceless lady  
You know who I am  
You know I can't let you  
Slide through my hands_

_She nodded. "I'm sure." The nervousness never left her eyes but instead became more intense as he lined himself up to enter her. He kept their eyes locked as he slowly sunk into her, needing three slow thrusts to become fully buried inside. He watched Jackie's eyes softly close and as her head fell back, Hyde silently wished he had been her first…_

_Wild horses  
Couldn't drag me away  
Wild, wild horses  
Couldn't drag me away_

* * *

Jackie looked up at Hyde, surprised by her own nervousness; they hadn't been intimate in over five years, not to mention she was cheating on the man who promised to one day marry her. 

"You're sure, Jackie?"

"Yeah," she whispered timidly, "Just kiss me, Steven." Hyde leaned down and gently kissed her lips, knowing he could never go back once he... "Oh, God," Jackie moaned as he slowly slid inside her, her eyes closing at the feeling of his thick shaft as he made several strokes before becoming fully encased.

"God, you're still so tight, Jackie," he whispered in her ear, biting and sucking on her earlobe before he propped himself up to look at her. They were still for a moment as they stared at each other, both bitterly aware that they had just ruined everything they had for this feeling—this incredible feeling. Jackie slipped her arms around Hyde's neck and pulled him down, needing to hold him. She wanted to smile, having dreamt about this moment—just one more with him—and here it was.

"You feel so good, Steven," she whimpered, gripping him tightly with every limb, enveloping him to make the closest possible physical connection.

"You're okay?"

"Yeah..."

* * *

_I watched you suffer  
a dull, aching pain  
Now, you decided  
to show me the same_

_Jackie's soft cries of pleasure nearly sent Hyde over the edge, sooner than he had hoped. Slowing down, he propped himself up to kiss her deeply, and the stimulation of her smooth tongue almost made him cum, again. Fuck. He pulled out of her and began to feverishly kiss her chest, making her whine at the instant his thumb began to manipulate her clit. "God, Steven. Come back."_

_No sweeping exits  
Or offstage lines  
Could make me feel bitter  
Or treat you unkind_

"_Hold on," he said, his mouth focusing on the soft skin of her breasts, slick with fresh sweat that he had so enthusiastically generated. "Fuck, Jackie. You're gonna make me come too quick," he groaned._

"_Just come here," she demanded, exhausted and out of breath, "I don't care. I just want that feeling again. God, Steven, I've never felt that before. Come here!" she yelled._

_Hyde complied and grunted as he thrust back inside her, almost forcefully, causing Jackie's head to thrust backwards, her brunette locks splayed wildly across his Spiderman pillowcase. "Fuck, Jackie. I'm gonna come."_

_Wild horses  
Couldn't drag me away  
Wild, wild horses  
Couldn't drag me away_

"_Harder, Steven," she whimpered, pulling his head down for a kiss. "Harder, baby."_

_His pace quickened until he was virtually slamming into her, delirious as Jackie vigorously sucked on his tongue, obviously coming beneath him. And the moment a vulgarity flew out of her innocent mouth, Hyde lost his battle…_

_I know I dreamed you  
A sin and a lie  
I have my freedom  
But I don't have much time_

* * *

Hyde rolled Jackie over and began to softly kiss along the length of her torso, starting with the small of her back. The fear of being discovered had forced them to go slowly, taking their time with every movement—giving them time to enjoy each other. His elbows resting on the bed, Hyde slipped both hands underneath her chest to cup her breasts as his lips and tongue carved a path the rest of the way up her back. Sweeping her soft brunette locks aside, Hyde laid tender kisses just below her hairline, making her giggle and him smile. "You're still ticklish there," he whispered.

"Yeah," she giggled, wiggling beneath him. "Steven!"

"Shh, we're gonna get caught," he whispered as he brushed his lips over her shoulder blade, finishing with a thick, wet kiss.

Jackie tucked her hands beneath her cheek, reveling in the sensations his mouth was creating. She'd forgotten how attentive he was in bed. "I feel like we're kids again, scared to get caught by the Forman's."

Hyde scoffed. "Yeah, well, I'm not scared of Kelso; Donna maybe." Jackie's giggle turned into a moan when Hyde's erection prepared to re-enter her. Her hips rose to meet him, and just as he was about to sink back inside her, Jackie turned over.

"No. I wanna see you," she decided. "Your face." Fitting him back between her thighs, Jackie was solemn as she cupped her hands over his jaw line and tried to find his changed eyes, now kind from liquor and time. She watched in awe as her thumb passed deliberately over his chin and lips, and then as her index finger swept down the bridge of his nose. "God, Steven. I used to be so in love with you," she whispered, not expecting a response, and she didn't get one until he leaned down, surprising her with his own whispered reply as he filled her, body and soul.

"Me, too..."

* * *

_Faith has been broken  
Tears have been cried  
Let's do some living  
After we die_

_Hyde collapsed beside Jackie, both of them exhausted and satisfied. With her only remaining energy, Jackie rolled over and straddled him, leaving lazy kisses on every inch of his heaving chest. "Mm, Steven. That was so good, I think I wanna do it again," she teased, staring up at him through her lashes, her tongue lightly dragging over his skin. "And again," she added with a kiss._

_Wild Horses,  
Couldn't drag me away,  
Wild, wild horses,  
We'll ride them someday_

"_Yeah, well…Just gimme a sec. I'll be right there."_

_Suddenly curious, Jackie tucked her hands beneath her chin and looked up at Hyde. "Steven, how many girls have you been with?"_

_Hyde frowned, this type of questioning never turned out well. "Some," he said, warily._

"_How many?"_

"_Jackie."_

"_A lot?"_

"_Some."_

"_More than five?" _

"_Yes."_

"_Less than ten?"_

"_Yes." _

_Jackie's smile fell. "I was probably the worst, huh? I'm not very experienced," she pouted._

_Hyde pulled her up with him as he sat up and cupped her face in his hands. "More experience doesn't mean better, Jackie. I'd rather have a chick like you than some slut. So don't say that again. Alright?" _

"_Okay," Jackie answered, slightly confused. _

_His face softened. "You were perfect," he added, giving her a small kiss that quickly led to a deeper one as they both laid back and took advantage of the long, lazy summer afternoon… _

* * *

Hyde was forced to muffle Jackie's sharp cries with a deep kiss as he pumped in and out of her underneath the white Hilton Hotel covers. Maybe it was the wrongness of their union, or the risk of getting caught, or maybe it was the new knowledge that he had loved her after all, but Jackie had never come so hard. Plus, five years, and all the hell he had given her, he owed her, at least, some great orgasms.

"Oh God, Steven. Harder. God, baby," she whimpered into his mouth as he kissed her, "Harder."

Hyde hushed her. "I'm gonna come, Jackie. I need to pull out."

"No," she whined.

"I have to." He gave Jackie several forceful thrusts as her orgasm peaked and when her body finally began to still around him, Hyde pulled out. Graciously, Jackie grabbed his throbbing erection and simultaneously stoked and kissed him as he came on her stomach. "_Fuck... Oh God, fuck, Jackie_," he growled against her lips before offering her a deep, vigorous kiss. Once his dick was soft in her hand, Jackie gave him a nudge and pushed him to the side, watching him collapse in exhaustion beside her. She smiled softly as she held the blanket high above them.

"Steven, you need get me something."

"Huh? Oh, yeah," he panted, still out of breath. Hyde quickly threw on his boxers and sneaked a peak above the covers. Everything seemed as it was, allowing him to go undetected into the bathroom. He returned quickly with a damp washcloth and Jackie cleaned up, finally providing them a moment to relax. Silence prevailed as Jackie simply lay on his chest, naked as a Jaybird, while Hyde held her, neither uttering a single word. It was a few minutes later that Hyde sighed and kissed her forehead. "I think I should go sleep in the other room."

Jackie nodded. Reality was beginning to set in—the two of them in a single bed, added with their guilty affects, would most certainly stir up shit that they didn't want. They had already been stirring it up all night and the last thing they needed was four extra helping hands. "Yeah. I think that's probably a good idea." She found her clothes and put them on as Hyde dressed and gathered his things. He was heading for the door when Jackie called out to him in a loud whisper. "Steven! C'mere real quick."

Hyde returned to the bed. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, just…C'mere," she said, prompting him to lean down with a wave of her hand. She couldn't let him go, not without settling one last issue. There was no way she was going to deny herself of this, this thing that a random whore had taken away from her five years before. As Hyde placed a knee on the bed, Jackie grabbed his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss. Conveying every emotion ever felt for this boy since sophomore year, Jackie slowly slid her tongue inside his mouth and amorously connected with his, her lips guiding him tenderly. The boy caught on quickly—sensing exactly what it was that she needed—and responded in kind; maybe he needed it, too. His fingers glided through her soft curls to cup her head, and pulled her closer with one shared understanding: this had to be their last kiss. It had to end here.

Hyde pulled away first, afraid he would never stop, and never said a word as he briskly walked out the door.

"Bye Steven," Jackie whispered, smiling sadly to herself. Exhausted beyond measure, she lay alone with her thoughts for another few minutes until she closed her eyes and finally succumbed to sleep.

* * *

The Next Morning

**Thursday **

**November 1, 1984. 11:47 a.m. **

**The Chicago Hilton - Room 420**

Steven Hyde opened up one eye and groaned. Looking around, he found himself in a plush bed, in a plush room—he looked out the window—with a view of Lake Michigan. Beside him was another bed just like his, and it was occupied. The image of long red hair on one pillow and Forman's swollen face on the other made him sigh with relief. Sitting upright, Hyde nearly screamed from pain as he grabbed his pounding head. "Fuck!" He hissed and squinted at the clock. It was almost noon, and there was obviously a check-out time, although he couldn't remember checking in so he made a mental note to call the front desk. Lying back down, he went over the events of the night before. Everything seemed to get a little fuzzy around "Thriller" and those dumb-ass zombies. Then Hyde groaned, placing his palms regretfully over his eyes…_Jackie_.

_Fuck._

What the hell did he do?

To Be Continued.

* * *

**A/N2: **Ok, so I hope it was worth the wait, at least a little. I would really appreciate just one more minute of your time, if you would please review. Thank you SO much for reading. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Separate Ways**

**A/N: **Thank you so much for the reviews. I don't think you guys will ever understand how important they are to me. About the chapter: It's uh, 'necessary' is all I can say about it. Please trust me though; I am not going to drag you all down in constant angst. That's not what this story is about. Oh! And I have a brief request for my reviewers: I like that we are all from different parts of the world and I would LOVE it if you guys would sound off at the end of your reviews, where you're from—just the country is fine. I am SO excited to find out!

This chapter is for coffeevixon84, who successfully baited me to update on time with a speedy update of her kick-ass story, Encounter. If not for her, this would've taken another week. Oh, and a grateful nod to my partner-in-crime, Gah-linda, for her input. ;)

* * *

**Previously: **

Lying back down, he went over the events of the night before. Everything seemed to get a little fuzzy around "Thriller" and those dumb-ass zombies. Then Hyde groaned, placing his palms regretfully over his eyes…Jackie.

Fuck.

What the hell did he do?

* * *

**November 1, 1984 - 11: 31 a.m.**

"Jackie! Jackie, wake up!"

Jackie opened her eyes and grumbled, shoving back the source of her irritation and pulling the thick, white comforter over her head. "Go away, Michael!"

"God, Jackie! You know you were _never_ very pleasant in the morning," Kelso spat, storming away.

"Shut-UP, Michael!" Jackie could hear the idle chatter between Kelso and Brooke and tried her best to ignore it. Shoving the pillow over her ear, she closed her eyes…and then it hit her. Jackie sat up. "SHIT!"

Her wide eyes met Kelso's instantly. "Jackie. I've _never_ heard you curse before," he stated, rather shocked at the mild vulgarity.

Brooke stepped around Kelso. "What's the matter?"

"Steven," Jackie mumbled, sucking in a shuttering breath. "I…I…"

Brooke cringed. "Yeah, you alright? I was wondering if you were gonna remember."

Jackie looked around the room and re-traced her steps from the night before. She had come in, tucked in her friends, cleaned up Hyde's cut and then—Jackie closed her eyes painfully—let him penetrate her over and over…and over. "Oh, God," she cried out, dropping her face in her hands.

Brooke sat down next to Jackie. "Look. Worst case scenario: Colin finds out. But it was just a little kiss and we were_ all_ drunk, Jackie. I mean, I think I might_ still_ be a little drunk," she giggled, failing to move Jackie. Brooke decided to change the subject. "So, um, why are you in here, anyway? I thought it was supposed to be Hyde."

"We traded."

"Why?"

Jackie panicked. She hadn't thought about it. Why _was_ she in here? "Oh! Cause, um, Donna was throwing up and it was just gross." Jackie prayed for Brooke to just buy it and walk away, and to her satisfaction, she did.

"God, those two can't hold their liquor," Brooke said, walking away. "I hope she's okay." Lying back, Jackie felt the threat of oncoming tears sting her nose. But it was nothing compared to the sickening feeling of dread that whirlpooled in the pit of her stomach. She had to talk to Hyde; that honest shit probably already had his girlfriend in his el Camino for the 'I swear it's never gonna happen again' speech. Right, she thought, never or until someone sluttier comes along. Oh God, was she the slut, now?

"Hey Jackie?" Jackie looked up at Michael and came to a bitter conclusion: She was part of his club now, a true member of the gang, along with Steven; she was a cheater—the lowest of the low. A whore. "Jackie, are you listening to me?" Kelso looked back over his shoulder. "Brooke! Something's wrong with Jackie!"

"_What_, Michael!" Jackie yelled, snapping out of her thoughts. "What?"

"I said what room are they in?" he repeated.

Jackie consciously drew in a giant dose of oxygen to calm herself enough to answer. "They're um…first door on the left of us." Having used the last bits of her energy, Jackie pulled the covers over her head and felt her heart sink when Hyde's scent wafted teasingly throughout her tiny cocoon. Fighting back tears, Jackie scolded herself for choosing lust over love. Steven Hyde was a distant memory to her; he represented the past, a painful one at that. So why, after all these years, was this happening?

* * *

**11:56 am**

**The Chicago Hilton – Room 420 **

Hyde had managed a three minute nap when he woke up to loud pounding, even louder than the one currently raking through his head. It was coming from the door, and from behind that came the most infuriating sound in the world: the muffled screech of Michael Kelso.

"Open up losers!"

Grumbling threats of death toward the lanky pest, Hyde whipped his covers away and headed for the door.

"Are you guys having a threesome in there?"

Hyde swung open the door. "Say one more word, Kelso," he muttered threateningly.

Kelso grinned as Hyde stumbled away, half asleep. "Man, your room number is 420; that means it's _always_ time to party in here!" Strutting inside, he glanced around the quiet room. "So whatcha guys doing?"

"What does it look like we're doing, ya moron," Hyde snapped as he crawled back into bed.

"Well, you guys need to get up. My shift starts at four."

"Dammit," Hyde sighed, plopping himself down on the bed. "Then why don't you go make yourself useful, man?" He sat up slowly, his eyes squinted nearly shut. "I've got a pounding headache, man. Here." He grabbed his wallet off the nightstand and pulled out a twenty, handing it to Kelso. "There's gotta be a store downstairs. Go get a bottle of Aspirin, six toothbrushes and some toothpaste. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, man," Kelso said, moving toward the door. He stopped and turned around before Hyde could snuggle back under the covers. "You know, Hyde. You should probably go talk to Jackie. She's really upset."

From near panic, Hyde's Adam's apple bobbed in his desert dry throat. "Why would I need to do that?" He was fishing. It was difficult to imagine that Jackie would tell Kelso something so…_Fuck, Brooke_. A cold sweat seeped out of Hyde's pores as Kelso began to speak.

"Because Hyde, I heard her talking to Brooke when I left. She's worried you're gonna tell Jessica about your little make-out session at the club and that Colin's gonna find out."

"I'm _not_ gonna lie to Jessica, Kelso," Hyde asserted, lying back down.

Kelso sighed. "Well, then you better go talk to Jackie. That's all I have to stay. I really don't want any part of this."

"Well, then stay the hell out of it!" Hyde yelled out in vain as Kelso was already out the door. "Damn it."

* * *

**Eighteen minutes later…**

Hyde stepped out of room 420 looking like a death row inmate after his last meal. He was a dead-man walking and he knew it. What the hell was he supposed to say to Jackie and how upset was she, he wondered. Another punch to the face would've felt better than this, Hyde decided, and there was no one to blame but himself. He couldn't keep his dick in his pants, and because of it, the girl who telephoned him every night to say 'I love you'—knowing it would not be returned—was already gone. No matter what he did from this point on, she was gone, and he wanted to punch something, namely himself. He felt bad for Jackie. He did. She was about to lose someone, too, but that was her problem, he figured; he had his own to deal with.

Staring intently at her room number, Hyde inhaled deeply and knocked.

Opening the door slowly, Brooke gave Hyde a weak smile. "Come in. She'll be out in a minute."

Hyde nodded and cautiously stepped inside, taking in the scene of the crime as it stood in the light of day. The room had seemed so much smaller the night before. The bed that held them was still unmade, stirring the memory of how warm and soft it had been, or maybe it was just her that had been warm and soft. Curious, he sat down on it and lay back as Brooke grabbed her shoes. "I'll be next door if Jackie asks."

Hyde sat up. "What? You're leaving?"

"Yeah."

"No!" He flew off the bed and approached Brooke, his eyes practically begging her for mercy. "You gotta stay. I don't know what to say to her."

"Well, what did you think? I was gonna say it for you?"

"No," he said, doing little to hold back the irritation in his voice.

"Look, Hyde. It was just a kiss. I honestly think you should consider not telling Jessica. You were drunk; it was an accident. Telling her is only going to make her upset and insecure." Brooke paused; her words were obviously falling on deaf ears. Hyde appeared more panicked than before. "It's gonna be okay, Hyde. Really."

"Please, Brooke."

Brooke peeked over her shoulder upon hearing her fiancé walk into the room; he was smiling and carrying a small brown bag. "Hey, you're not trying to steal my girl, too; are ya, Hyde?" It seemed funny until he saw the usual spark of aggression flicker in Hyde's blue eyes. "I'm just kidding, God. Relax, man. You're so tense all the time. Here." Pulling out a small tube of toothpaste, two toothbrushes and a bottle of Tylenol, Kelso handed them all to Hyde, along with his change. "We'll be next door," he said with an encouraging pat. "Make it quick, too. We gotta head out soon."

Hyde stood frozen in the middle of the room with his 'morning after' paraphernalia and watched in horror as the two traitors walked out the door, leaving him alone with Jackie. "Fuckers," he mouthed silently.

"Hyde."

It was disappointment that he felt first, which surprised him. _Hyde._ They were back to that shit again. After everything they'd... Maybe she didn't remember. But he did. He had asked her stop calling him that underneath those covers and she had promised and sealed it with a kiss—her fucking words. And right then, he quickly understood. The Jackie from last night was a different girl from the one standing behind him. To her, he was back to being Hyde, and Hyde was back to being pissed off about it.

"Hyde, please."

Slowly, he turned around to face her, his expression full of contempt as he simply stared at her, nothing to say. If she had forgotten, he was _Hyde _and _Hyde_ didn't fucking talk much. That's who she wanted, that's who she was gonna get, he decided. Jackie's swollen eyes narrowed; obviously the feeling of disappointment was mutual. "I knew it!" she screamed, storming back into the bathroom. "I KNEW IT!"

The door slammed shut and Hyde took a few tentative steps forward, but retreated quickly. The sounds of things being violently thrown sent him into a harried march toward the door. This was about right, he thought. This was how he figured it would go. He'd turn into an asshole, she'd yell and he'd bail—it was textbook 'them.' But as Hyde reached for the doorknob, weeping replaced slamming, and he stopped. "God damn it," he whispered, resting his forehead on the cold door. Her sobs were becoming softer, and she sounded so small to him, and sad. No…she was hurt. Twisting his body around, Hyde kept contact with the door as he stared into the place that had housed their lovemaking the night before. That's what she had asked him to do: Make love to her. And he did, happily, easily.

Hyde smoothed his fingers over his face. He needed more sleep. He needed a glass of water. Shit. He needed to go home and face his girlfriend. There were going to be enough tears when she found out that he had betrayed her with the one person she felt threatened by. Jessica had never said so directly, but Jackie terrified her, and Hyde understood why. She was beautiful and the first girl—the only girl—to be loved by him, to hear those words directly from his lips. And Jessica knew it. Hyde shut his eyes and hung his weary head. _Fuck._ This was going to kill her. Jessica was going to hate him, the way Jackie had after Sam. Hyde reached a hand down to the ground and braced himself to sit. With a dull thud, his head hit the thick door behind him and he just sat, his eyes closed, listening to Jackie cry her heart out…

_Hyde watched Sam run up the basement stairs, heading for the kitchen, and made a beeline for the back door. She was getting clingy and he just needed a couple hours away. The hub would do it and Fez and Kelso would probably be there to keep him company. Upon opening the door, he heard crying and quickly stopped to listen, quietly shutting the door behind him. _

_He knew that cry. It was Jackie at the top of those stairs, somewhere out of his view. She was weeping—long, deep sobs—and then he heard his name slip out with one. His girl was crying out to him or maybe the old him who would've answered, grumbled about it, but answered nonetheless. And as cold as he had been, Hyde felt for her and understood her tears. Since Sam's arrival, he'd purposefully timed all his sweetest kisses and playful nibbles to coincide with Jackie's sideways glances and found himself enjoying her pain, triumphant when her escaping form would run out of the basement, hiding tears. But in private, when his balls, his backup—Sam—was gone, Jackie's pain hurt. He missed her in a way that she would never understand, or know, because the fact was, he would never tell her. Ever._

"_Jackie? Oh my god. Are you okay?" Hyde perked up and nervously backed up toward the door, ready to retreat._

"_Brooke," Jackie cried out._

"_Jackie, what's the matter? Why are you…"_

"_I can't go down there. I can't watch him with her anymore. I can't pretend that I don't…God, I wanna die, Brooke. He keeps kissing her right in…right in fron…" Jackie's words became heavy, muffled sobs and Hyde could tell that Brooke was holding her now. Like he should have been doing._

"_Who? Jackie? Who is who kissing? Hyde?" At the mention of his name, Hyde turned around and held his hand to the knob. Finding himself stalled, he listened._

"_His wiiiiife," Jackie sobbed out, her heart audibly crushed, shattered—destroyed, just like he had wanted, "Oh…my…God, Brooke." After a few soothing hushes from Brooke, Jackie's tears seemed to slow, leaving her voice deflated, almost dead to Hyde's ears. "You kn…know what's…funny? I kn…knew he would do this to…me. Somewhere, Brooke…I just…knew."_

_With that, Hyde turned the knob and went back inside to his wife, who waited patiently with a cold beer, making it easier for him to turn his back on the tears being cried for him only a few yards away…_

Jackie lay on the cold floor of the Hilton Hotel bathroom in tears. Her cheek—pressed to the cold tiles—was practically frozen and her neck hurt, but for some reason the pain in her body kept her mind grounded. Staring at the white ceramic floor covering that surrounded her shaking body, Jackie had only one thought—Steven Hyde had callously ruined her life, again. How in the hell did he manage to reach out through time and hurt her here? Even with that, she knew it was her fault for letting him. Curling into herself, Jackie hugged her bare legs and ached desperately for her boyfriend. He would have never let her cry this long; she would have never even made it to the bathroom. Not that he wouldn't have stayed mad, or continued fighting, but he would've never abandoned her tears, never made her feel alone. No matter what. It just wasn't his way.

A faint knock startled her out of her reverie. "Jackie?" Her impulse to cry quickly faded. It was Hyde at the door, and a part of her wanted to let him in and just hug and praise him for being there, without bribe or coercion. But the other part of her wanted to punish him taking so damn long.

"Go away, Hyde!" She heard him sigh and then…silence. Jackie dropped her face into her palms and returned to tears. That fucker had taken off—typical.

"Jackie, will you just open the door?" Jackie perked up, giving herself a small, nerdish smile; he hadn't left. "You know," she heard him begin, "I had a present for you, but I guess if you don't want it..."

Wiping her eyes and grabbing some toilet tissue to blow her nose, Jackie stood upright and responded, careful not to sound too interested. "What _kind_ of present?" she asked, failing miserably to Hyde's ears.

He smiled from outside the door, his head leaning against it gently as he rolled his eyes; the girl never changed. "I think it's one you'll like. Especially _now_," he subtly lured.

"Well," he heard, her voice coming closer, "just tell me."

"Can't do it," he said, slowly backing away from the door, "I can't give it to you through the door. It's… too big, it won't fit." Hyde chuckled to himself; he could practically hear her mind going bonkers with curiosity. Another full minute passed; Jackie was being stubborn and Hyde knew what he had to do. "Okay, well I guess I'll just go give it to Donna then. I'll catch ya later."

"No! No," Jackie call out, whipping open the bathroom door and dashing out. She stopped at the sight of him, her expression quickly projecting poignancy and pride as she studied him. His hand was holding the doorknob, and he wore a look of amusement as he flicked his eyes up at her, waiting. He wanted so badly to laugh; she was so easy to read. "Well," Jackie let out with a huff, "where is it then?"

"Come here," he demanded.

"No! _You_ come _here_!"

"Fine, forget it." Hyde opened the door. "I'll just give it to Donna."

"No! Okay. How about we just meet halfway?" Shutting the door, Hyde nodded and with the strangest of smiles, the two met in the center of the room. Jackie held her hand out. "Hand it over."

Hyde shook his head. "You have to make me a promise first, another one." Initially offering him a confused look, Jackie's face softened as she gave him a single nod. "Quit calling me Hyde."

A long stare seemed to spur Jackie's memory. "Okay," she agreed, "I promise…Steven. Now, where's my present?"

Slightly fearful for his shins, Hyde pulled a packaged, pink toothbrush from his back pocket and grinned. To his surprise, Jackie's face lit up. "Oh! Thank god!" She snatched her gift out of his hand and squinted her eyes, pressing for more. "Got anything else behind there?"

From behind his back, in a flash, Hyde produced toothpaste, earning him a squeal and _almost _a hug before Jackie awkwardly caught herself. "Thank you Hyd…Steven." With a flip of her hair and a small shimmy, Jackie skipped off to the bathroom having forgotten all about her tears.

As water began to trickle over porcelain, Hyde allowed himself a moment to process his thoughts. Grateful for the release of one chunk of guilt, he stood in the middle of the room and fretted over the rest. First there was Jackie; he had ruined her good life, the one he had eventually wished upon her. Second, there was Jessica, who he doubted would be contented with a pink toothbrush once she found out what he had done. Having learned, though, from his previous mistakes, Hyde made the quick decision that he would steal one more kiss from her before he broke the news, and the thought made his chest hurt. He wasn't ready to let her go; he liked being with her, she was comfortable and warm—like that bed.

Taking his time, Hyde made his way toward the bathroom. He stopped at the doorjamb and raised his arms high, gripping the upper frame as he rested his tired body. "Jackie." She was brushing her teeth, trying her best to pretend that she hadn't heard him. Without another word, Hyde stepped inside, pulled the second toothbrush from his back pocket and, in silence, the two brushed their teeth. Several brief glances communicated the awkwardness they were both feeling. It was palpable in the small, white room.

When she was finished, Jackie rinsed out her mouth and spun around, turning her back on the mirror. "We need to talk," she announced, staring at the wall behind him as he rinsed his mouth. Shutting her eyes, Jackie prayed for God's grace. "Steven, please don't tell her." Leaning on the sink, his head hung low, Hyde remained quiet. "Please, Steven," she begged, twisting her neck to try to see him, to try and get a read on him.

Plagued with the need to make her understand, Hyde turned his head and made eye contact with her. "I can't lie to her, Jackie…" Upon her own name, Jackie broke into sobs.

"Oh my God! Steven, don't you get it? He's gonna leave me! He'll never forgive me!"

"Jackie, I'm sorry. Look," feeding off his own guilt, Hyde became angry, "Fuck, Jackie! Do you think I _want_ to tell her? You don't think she's gonna dump me, too?"

"No!" she yelled, "No. You'll probably get away with it like you always do! In fact, you'll probably have _her_ apologizing to _you_ in a couple days!"

Hyde shook his head. "Man, forget this," he grumbled, stepping around her and out into the room.

"Steven, wait." Catching up with him, she spun him around and flung her arms tightly around his neck, pleading with him through her tears. "He loves me, Steven." Undoubtedly affected by her, Hyde hugged Jackie close to him while she continued. "I'm happy, Steven. Please don't take him away from me. Please." Sobs wracked her tiny body and her weight quickly became his sole responsibility as he moved her to the floor by the bed.

"Jackie, I didn't mean for this happen," he said, sitting them both down against the bed, settling her on his lap as her arms remained firmly coiled around his neck. "I just...I won't lie to her, Jackie. I can't do that to her."

"Why not? Steven." Jackie released her grip, placing her hands on the nape of his neck as she cried. "Telling her will only break her heart. She loves you and I know how that feels…to love you and then…know that someone else touched you and that you...God, she's gonna…" her words painfully choked off by tears, Hyde chose to interject.

"But I _told_ you, Jackie. I didn't lie to you."

"I know. But I remember wishing you hadn't. It hurt, a lot, and Jessica's gonna…God, she's gonna _wish_ she were dead, Steven, that's how bad it's gonna hurt."

"Well I guess we probably should've thought about that last night then, huh, Jackie?" Hyde said angrily.

"Yes, I guess we probably should've, but we didn't! We were only thinking about what would feel good right then and gave in." She watched his head fall in dismay, and taking in a deep, cleansing breath, Jackie lifted his chin and locked eyes with him. "Steven, what will telling her accomplish? Huh? Think about it. The only purpose for it is to make you feel better about yourself, that you didn't lie. It'll ease some of your guilt, but at the same time, it'll crush her."

"_No._ I'm gonna tell her cause it's the right thing to do, _Jackie_," he corrected, annoyed at her negative assessment of him. "I may not have the best judgment and yeah, I mess up a lot, but I don't lie about it."

"Oh, spare me, Hyde," she slipped out, "you just don't wanna feel guilty so you're willing to exchange your discomfort for hers!"

Hyde's eyes narrowed in disgust. "Jackie, get the hell off me. I wanna get outta here."

"No," she said, re-applying her grip on his neck. "You're not getting out of this. We still need to talk." She watched his jaw grind and popped it lightly with her fingers. "Cut it out. I know you; you can't fool me. You're mad because I'm right."

"You don't know _shit_ about me, Jackie," Hyde argued, "Come on, you think I haven't changed at all in five years? I'm just that same asshole that runs off to marry strippers and screw nurses, right? Jessica couldn't possibly mean something to me."

Jackie sighed. "I didn't say that."

"Yeah. Whatever, Jackie. I'm not gonna _lie_ to her because I care about her which is more than I think you can say about Colin. You're the one being selfish. Don't you think he has a right to know what his girlfriend was up to last night? Huh? Or that she could so easily spread her legs for someone else? Me!"

"God," Jackie shook her head as a rush of fresh tears swept over her face. "You were _so_ nice last night."

"Yeah, well so were you," Hyde scoffed, attempting to remain cold, but the all too familiar twist of pain on her face summoned his guilt and he grabbed her, pulling her in for a hug. "Crap, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that." Really only angry with himself, Hyde sat with her for a few moments, letting her cry into his neck as he debated his options.

"I'm a whore!" she cried out, startling him out of his thoughts.

"What? No, you're not! God, Jackie. That's not what I meant." He tightened his grip on her body. "Shit."

"I just _spread_ my legs for you after a few drinks and you're right, he should be told," Jackie sobbed, "that he loves a whoooooore!"

"Alright, enough. Cut it out," Hyde insisted, sitting her up. "Come on." Together, they worked on clearing her face of tears. "Stop crying. You're not a whore, Jackie. You're far from it."

"No, I am. I'm Saaaaam!" Jackie sobbed, collapsing into him.

Beyond frustrated, Hyde dropped his head back against the bed. "God damn it."

_Sam._ The name sparked a memory and Jackie sat up, slightly refreshed. "Steven, he told me he wanted to marry me someday." She tried her best to smile but failed, not quite ready for such a difficult task. "Yeah. See, he took me to New York for my birthday. Did you know that?"

Hyde shook his head. "No. I didn't know that."

"He did, and he took me to Central Park," she told him, finally smiling, "and there was this really cute old couple. They were so tiny and they were holding hands as they walked together. And as we passed them, the little old man," Jackie paused to collect herself, "he leaned in and kissed her. And Colin, who I swear is just like you, impossible sometimes," she laughed and then sniffled, "he gave me a hug and told me that he wanted me to be his little old lady." Breaking back down into tears, Jackie snaked her arms around Hyde's neck and held him for her own dear life, since he seemed to hold it in his hands. "Please, Steven, if you tell her, he'll find out, and he'll leave me. Even though he loves me, he'll leave me, and I've never had anybody love me so much. Nobody, Steven."

Hyde knew it wasn't true but nodded that he understood anyway. "Do you love him, Jackie?"

"Yes," she simply replied, "I do."

Hyde sighed and looked down. "What um, what are _we_ gonna do?"

"What do you mean?" Jackie sat back.

"Well, I mean, we just pretend like it never happened, right?"

"Right."

"And spend the next five years ignoring each other?"

Jackie shook her head in earnest. "No. I don't want that, Steven. I was really happy last night," she confessed, "I loved that we were getting along. I hate fighting with you. I don't even know why we do it."

"Well," Hyde scratched lightly at his cheek, deep in imaginary thought, and Jackie smiled at his nervous signal, "since uh, we're gonna be, you know, sharing such a big secret, I figure maybe we could get along, be…friends."

Jackie frowned. "A secret?" Staring back at her, Hyde blinked gently and Jackie squealed, her face illuminating as she threw her arms back around his neck, laying a thousand kisses on every inch of his head. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Hyde nodded, cringing slightly. "Ok. Ok. You don't need to do that, Jackie. I think we did enough of that last night, don't you think?"

Jackie sat back and smiled sincerely. "Thank you, Steven. You know," she started, a little surprised at the sudden closeness she felt toward him, seeing as they were friends now, "I don't regret _you_, Steven. I just, well last night," Hyde cut her off with a shake of his head.

"Jackie, let's not…" Quickly stopping at the look of fear in her eyes, Hyde decided to fess up for once. He shrugged. "It was nice," he mumbled.

Smiling sweetly, Jackie had a thought and her face fell. "But it'll never happen again."

"No. I know that," Hyde concurred, grimacing.

"Right."

"Right!"

"Okay, then."

"You done bawling? Can I have my lap back now?"

Tilting her head curiously to the side, Jackie raised her eyebrows. "Are you being a jerk?"

"_No_."

"You better not be." Hyde merely glared at her as his response. "Stare at me all you want, Steven. I'm not moving until you act _nice_ like last night." Hyde grinned wickedly. "Ugh! You're a pig," she teasing, playfully smacking him before rolling off of his lap.

"You used to like that about me," he reminded her as he stood up, wearing a cocky smirk. "A lot."

"I also used to like Donnie Osmond, a lot. Things change." They stood, simply looking at each other for a brief moment until Hyde could no longer resist the temptation.

"God, you're short."

Her hands on her hips, Jackie's eyes widened before squinting in anger. "I'm petite," she growled through clenched teeth, stomping her bare foot. "There's a difference!" Hyde smirked; God, she was so easy.

* * *

**The Chicago Hilton Lobby – 35 minutes later. 1:22pm**

_Donna, Jackie, Brooke, Eric, and Kelso are all lounging on random pieces of lobby furniture. Hyde walks up, stuffing his wallet in his back pocket._

"Alright, let's go," he announced, yawning, "we're all set. Who's driving?"

"You are," Kelso answered, his eyes still shut as he rested his head on his balled-up fist. "Have fun, man."

"What?" Hyde looked around as everybody except Jackie gave him the pathetic, pleading looks of the hung-over. "No way! I paid for the rooms _and_ I bought you all toothbrushes! Those were expensive rooms!"

"Hey, that's Jackie's fault, man," Eric threw in from his perch on the couch, Donna's fatigued head resting on his shoulder. "And yours."

"What? How is that my fault?" Jackie asked.

Donna grinned at her. "Cause you were giggling in his ear, begging him to get the best rooms he could and he did."

"Oh, yeah," Jackie conceded, quickly joining the rest of the group's collectively pathetic gaze on Hyde, only hers was one of remorse. "Sorry, Steven."

Shrugging, Hyde sat down. "Whatever. I'm still not driving and that's that."

"Hyde," Kelso whined, "I have to work tonight. Brooke has to pick up and take care of two kids. Donna is on air tonight, Eric has an exam tomorrow," he looked at Jackie, "Jackie?"

"What? I'm off today."

"Are _you_ working today, Hyde?"

"_No_," Hyde sneered, narrowing his eyes and aiming them straight at Kelso, "I called Leo this morning to open the store."

"Well, there you go," Kelso pronounced. "It's between you and Jackie then." Ignoring Hyde's glare, he turned slightly and laid his head down. "So uh, try to drive fast cause I'm in a hurry."

"No, no, no, no! That's bullshit, man! You guys got way more…" Hyde started to say 'sleep than we did' but caught himself. "Crap. _Fine_, I'll drive!" he grumbled. There was no reason to draw anymore attention to himself, or Jackie. A slip of the mouth could screw up their whole program, but the fact that it was him who nearly brought it all crashing down scared him. How long would he last in Jessica's presence if these morons already had him flustered? "Let's just go!"

"Here," Without looking, Kelso held out his arm and passed a large set of keys to Hyde, "the blue one is the key to the van."

"You mean the mini-van?" Hyde poked.

"It's not a mini-van, man. It's a van."

"Face it, Kelso. You own a mini-van."

Kelso sat up. "It's NOT a _mini-van_! We've been over this!"

Hyde smiled, catching Jackie's eye just in time to give her a swift wink, and headed for the hotel's front doors. "I'm pulling out of here in three minutes, with or without all of you." Jackie quickly followed, trailed closely by everyone else.

Upon exiting the hotel, Hyde grumbled to himself. Of course it would be pouring. He tossed Kelso the keys. "Go get your mini-van." At the visual of Kelso's mouth opening, Hyde quickly responded. "Say one word and you drive home."

"Damn," Kelso muttered, dashing out toward the parking lot, his foot dipping into a puddle the moment he stepped off the curb. "Damn!" Hyde smiled; it was all worth it now.

* * *

**Four miles east of Point Place, WI – 2:49 pm**

**The 'van'**

A quick glance in the rearview mirror revealed the four sleeping beauties as they lay, paired up, across the back seats, having not a care in the world. Hyde was jealous; what he wouldn't give for that peace right now. Looking to his right, he became plainly aware that he was not alone. Jackie sat staring into space, chewing nervously on her fingernails, completely oblivious to Hyde's pensive stare as they sat at a red light. "Jackie," he pulled her hand from her mouth, "relax. It's gonna be fine."

"What if one of them slips, Steven? Or what if I slip?"

"Jackie," he whispered, "they think we only kissed and plus…you're an excellent liar."

Clearly moved, Jackie continued. "Thank you, Steven, but there's so many things that can go wrong. I mean, what if…"

"Jackie," Hyde interrupted, briefly checking the back for listening ears, and then fixed his eyes on hers, "just promise me something."

"What?"

"If he _does_ find out, you'll call me right away, so I can tell her myself." Jackie nodded; she completely understood but felt a brief and unwelcome twinge of jealousy that Jessica had this version of him. He was genuinely concerned about hurting her. "And I'll do the same thing," he added.

"Okay," she whispered as the light finally changed to green. Hyde's attention returned to the road and Jackie relaxed slightly with no more blue eyes to muddle up her rational thoughts. "God, Steven. What did we do? I feel like such a terrible person." Tucking her legs underneath herself, Jackie turned toward him and closed her eyes. "I'm so tired and I still have to drive home. I just wanna sleep."

"Why don't you just ride home with Kelso and Brooke?"

"I have my car," she answered quietly.

"Jackie," Hyde whispered, making another pass at the rearview mirror, "I'm really sorry. This is all my fault. I was hitting on you all night, even after you stopped me."

Opening her eyes, quite surprised at his candor, Jackie straightened up and corrected him. "Oh yeah, cause you forced yourself on me last night," she teased. "Come on, Steven. I'm a big girl and you're not THAT irresistible. I'm sure I could have resisted if I had wanted to," she scoffed.

"I don't know, Jackie. I've been told that I'm pretty enticing to the chicks." Jackie laughed, eliciting a small smile from Hyde. "It's a curse; what can I say?"

"Your brain is a curse."

"That, too," Hyde agreed as the van approached the Forman residence. The driveway was full of cars—Jackie's, Eric's and Red's. And to his surprise, the El Camino was parked in the street in front. With nowhere else to park Kelso's mini-van, Hyde pulled over to the curb across the street. "Oh, man. Red's probably pissed that he can't get out."

"Oh my God." It hadn't occurred to her the night before; she just wasn't thinking…at all, apparently. Jackie wanted to smack herself as she shook her head. "God, what was wrong with me yesterday!"

Throwing Jackie a mischievous smirk, Hyde honked the horn and laughed with her as the four sleepers were startled awake. "Get the hell up!" he yelled without mercy, "Wake up!"

"Alright!" Kelso yelled, shifting in his seat.

Eric grabbed his head, cringing at the pain he obviously felt. "Yeah, man. Come on."

A quick, yet telling, nod at Jackie made her nervous as Hyde twisted in his seat to face the back. "I'm only gonna say this once: Any one of you say one fucking word to Jessica or Colin, you're all cut off."

"From what?" Kelso asked, "You don't have anything."

"From air, Kelso."

"Oh."

"Don't worry," Donna assured him. "We're not gonna say anything. I just hope that was the end of it."

"That was the end of it," Jackie chimed in, getting a nod from Hyde.

"Yeah, so just shut your mouths, especially you Kelso!"

"Why me?"

"Do I even have to explain why?" Hyde asked, taking his jacket from Jackie's lap.

"No."

"Okay then." Hyde opened the door and got out. "Keep your mouth shut." The drizzle of rain that came down around the car was enough to make everyone hurry as they exited. Jackie stepped out quickly and pulled her sweater over her head, unwilling to add 'frizzy hair' to her already giant list of problems. Slamming the door shut, her initial thought of how cold the air felt on her bare legs was abruptly interrupted by a sharp, high-pitched scream. Startled, she stepped around the van, unable to peel her eyes away as the source of the commotion came into view. She watched a smiling Jessica leap in Hyde's arms, wrapping her legs around him while she adorned his face with kisses.

"I missed you!" Jessica pulled back to see him and her face fell with concern. "What happened to your cheek, baby?"

"I got in a fight." A slight, sympathetic smile formed across her lips as Hyde stared at her nervously, stilling holding her high off the ground. Her thumb brushed gently over his cut.

"Poor baby. What did you fight over?"

"Someone grabbed Brooke's ass," Donna threw in as she passed by, rolling her eyes.

"I was helping Kelso," Hyde clarified.

"Oh. Well," Jessica's smile returned, "we need to talk. There's something I gotta tell ya."

"Oh yeah, she's pregnant," Kelso muttered to the rest of the gang as they crossed the street, Jackie included, her gaze set intently over her shoulder, back on the seemingly happy couple. Hyde briefly glanced her way in the same moment that Kelso lightly slapped her arm. "Good going, Jackie."

"Michael, shut-up!" she growled. "Or I swear to God, I'll sic Steven on you!"

"Why are you calling him 'Steven'?" Eric inquired. "I thought you stopped that."

"Eric," Jackie retorted, "You've got puke on your crotch."

"Why are looking at my crotch?" he asked, grinning wickedly. The pleasure that filled him as Jackie grumbled her way past the sliding glass door was better than any burn he could think of. "She was looking at my crotch, Donna."

"So?"

"Well, aren't you jealous?" Donna began to laugh hysterically as they entered the kitchen.

"Oh, Eric. Don't make me laugh. My head hurts enough already."

"Hi, kids! So how was it?" Kitty questioned as they all collapsed into seats around the room. "Tell me everything!"

Meanwhile, back at the van…

"Steven, what's the matter, baby?" Jessica asked as he set her down.

"Nothing, I'm just tired. I wanna go home." He grabbed her hand and walked her to his car. "Just get in and wait for me, I'll be right back." Giving him a strange look, Jessica gripped his fingers, unwilling to let him walk away from her so easily.

"Wait. Come here," she insisted, drawing him close, "I missed you." Blue eyes darted everywhere but never once settled on her. "Steven, why won't you look at me?" She grabbed his face. "Are you mad at me still?"

"No," he said quietly, finally biting the bullet and looking directly at her. "I'm not mad at you." His guilt and shame rising to the surface, Hyde pulled her in for a hug, unable to look in her eyes anymore. There was so much love there that he didn't deserve. "I'll be right back," he assured her, stepping back away from her. He smiled. "Then we'll go to my place and you can tell me what's going on, ok?"

"Can we rent a movie?" she asked, smiling and shrugging her shoulders.

He nodded. "Yeah, but don't get mad when I fall asleep."

Jessica stepped forward and smoothed her hands over his stubbly cheeks. "Aww. We're you up late, baby?"

Hyde nodded and backed away from her hands before she could kiss him. "I'll be right back. Get in the car, you're getting soaked."

"Fine," she said, dropping her hands in frustration and taking the driver's side to give him a break from driving. Hyde wanted to hit something as he stalked up the driveway. Why did she have to be so god damn understanding all the time? _Fuck._ When he reached the kitchen, everyone was already chewing on sandwiches made from love by Mrs. Forman; they all looked up.

"Steven!" Kitty exclaimed, running around the breakfast nook to hug him. "I haven't seen you all week! I've missed you!" Hyde smiled and accepted her embrace. "You want a sandwich?"

"No thanks, I'm not hungry," he said, starving, as she let go. Once her tiny form was out of sight, having run off into the living room, Hyde rushed over to Jackie and lifted her off her seat.

"Steven?"

"Hyde, what are you doing?" Eric asked.

"I need to talk to Jackie. Bang on the table if Jessica comes in."

Kelso stood up. "Wait, what was it she had to tell you?"

"I don't know, we haven't talked about it, yet," he muttered as he gripped Jackie's arm and pulled her through the basement door and slammed it shut. Jackie became nervous as he held her against the wall at the top of the steps, in near darkness.

"Steven, what's the matter?" Jackie pressed, confident that he had probably already told Jessica. She would kill him.

"I can't do this. I gotta tell her."

"No! You can't. You promised me!"

"Shh! I didn't promise you anything," he whispered. "I said I'd try."

"It's been five minutes!" Jackie kicked him hard in the shin. "And you're already blowing it!"

Instinctively bending over rub away the sharp pain, Hyde nearly fell down the stairs before he caught himself. "Ow! God dammit, Jackie!" The pain those boots inflicted was intense, and Hyde decided immediately that they had been made by the devil himself; he knew he liked them too much. His tensed fists found her arms. "_Don't_ do that again or I _will_ tell her."

"Fine. Go ahead! You've already ruined my life once, why not just do it again!"

Hyde hushed her and dragged her down the steps to the bottom where he put her back up against the wall. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"God, nothing, just…please Steven," she implored. "You owe me."

Sighing and pressing his palm to the wall behind her, Hyde dropped his head on her shoulder. Trying to argue with her was pointless; he _did_ owe her. "She just…she's not making it easy, Jackie."

"It's not supposed to be easy, is it? That's what we get, Steven." Even as she said, Jackie couldn't help but notice how close he was. It felt good, to have an intimate connection with him again, as much as she hated the secret that produced it. It felt right to bond with him, even over something so possibly damaging to the both of them. "Steven, 'don't worry,' remember. 'It's gonna be fine.' _You_ said that."

"I know."

"Okay, so go upstairs and go home and act like nothing happened." Hyde straightened up and inhaled deeply.

"You're right," he said, shaking his head, "Fucking Kelso."

Jackie laughed. "I know, but I think I took care of him." Nodding his approval, Hyde surprised her with a soft kiss on the forehead.

"I'll see ya, Jackie," he said softly before turning away and walking out of the back door.

"See ya." Making her way up the basement steps, Jackie wondered how long he would last, and cringed at a single thought: She had foolishly placed her happiness back in the hands of Steven Hyde. Her life was over.

* * *

**Point Place, WI – 6:04 pm**

**Steven Hyde's Apartment**

With only the flicker of her video rental lighting the room, Jessica stealthily slipped out of Hyde's bedroom, wearing only her panties and a small tank-top. Tip-toeing toward him, she craned her neck over the couch and smiled at the sight of him falling asleep, thinking to herself that he was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. Determined to wake Hyde up, she snuck over, lifted his blanket off of him and watched his eyes snap open. "Jess," he whispered as he watched her descend on him and pepper soft kisses across his bare chest from her knees. "What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" she asked, giving him a wry smile and another sucking kiss over his nipple. "I missed you last night, baby." To clarify her intentions further, Jessica released her weight onto Hyde's chest and claimed his mouth in a searing kiss.

Overcome immediately with desire, Hyde responded urgently and let his hands roam down her barely-dressed body, stopping at her ass where he gave her a fervent squeeze. Groaning at the feel of her warm flesh, he hugged her waist and pushed her hips down over his throbbing erection. "God, baby."

Encouraged by her boyfriend's enthusiasm, Jessica grinned as she slowly slithered down his torso, trailing moist kisses along the way. Moaning his approval, Hyde simply watched her, gently gripping a chunk of her blond locks as his hips thrust slightly in anticipation of her warm, wet mouth. His head fell back, eyes closing, when she reached her destination, leaving him with only the feeling of her breath as it tickled his skin and her fingers as they tugged at his boxers. "God, Jess." As she prepared to wrap her lips around his thick, erect shaft, Jessica let out a soft moan, inadvertently sparking something in Hyde that made him shove her head away. "NO!"

"What?" Her eyes were wide with bewilderment. "What's the matter?"

"You can't."

"Why not?"

"Uh," Hyde's brain was failing him. Why the hell not? Why? Why? "Uh, cause I have a headache."

Jessica broke out into laughter. "Steven, you can't be serious."

Growing angry, Hyde pulled up his boxers and got to his feet. "I _am_ serious. I have a headache and I'm not in the mood."

"What?" Incredulous, Jessica stood up to meet him. "Why? Baby, what is up with you tonight?" Hurt painted all over her face, Jessica simply stared at him on the verge of tears.

"Jess, don't," he sighed.

"No. You're acting like a jerk today, like you don't want me anywhere near you," she cried. "And you didn't even ask me about what it was I wanted to tell you. Aren't you curious at all?"

"Yes. I just…I need to take a shower," he announced, heading straight for the bathroom. "It'll wake me up." Leaving her standing confused and crying in the middle of the living room, Hyde shut the bathroom door, dropped his boxers and quickly stepped into a hot shower. Jesus Christ, she almost...with the remnants of Jackie's arousal still all over him from the night before. God, it was just so fucking wrong, he thought. Yet still, the memory of it all brought his erection back in full force as he lathered himself up with smooth rhythmic strokes—Jackie beneath him, her skin, her hips, those breathy whimpers that came out of her mouth when she was coming. _Fuck._ Hyde came instantly, grateful for the release; there was no way in hell he was going to offer another girl's hard-on to Jessica.

God, help him; it was just wrong.

Finally able to clear his mind of Jackie, Hyde simply turned up the temperature and let the heat and pressure of the shower water relax him. What the hell did Jessica have to tell him, he wondered. Usually when she wanted to talk to him about something, she just talked, never hesitating to speak her mind. But tonight, shit, tonight, she was acting strange. Hyde prayed that the idiot wasn't right, that she wasn't pregnant, and calculated every instance in which he had come inside of her, usually a decision made in the heat of the moment. _Dammit._ He _knew_ it would one day come back to bite him in the ass…

To Be Continued…

* * *

**A/N2: **I am so curious as to what you guys are thinking. I can't even imagine. So _please_ review. They're really important to me. Anyway, thanks for reading! Look for me next Sunday! Oh! And don't forget to sound off. Here, I'll start—I'm from S. California. Now you…Review + location (only if you want). But PLEASE at least review. I accept anonymous ones too. It's starting to make me sad how few people review compared to how many are reading. It only takes like 30 seconds. _Please._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Mustaches Are a Bad Girl's Best Friend**

**A/N: **Thank you to those of you who are reviewing. You really helped me understand where your minds are on this story – seemingly with the state of Jessica's belly at this point, but we'll see. Ok, so I'm totally anticipating the shit I'm going to catch for this chapter. Sorry. Look. You must understand, JH have been living totally separate lives for the past five years and we would be deluding ourselves if we assumed that they would remain single in all that time. They're both freakin' hot, come on! This chapter is absolutely necessary to the story and is here to simply show you their lives and the state of their hearts as of November 1st but do not fret, my friends, their paths will cross again…_really_ soon. ;) And please don't skip parts; I'll be sad and you might miss something interesting. ;) Oh, and I was forced to make up a last name for Brooke; she didn't have one… (Oh God, I'm so very nervous)

* * *

**Previously:**

Hyde prayed that the idiot wasn't right, that she wasn't pregnant, and calculated every instance in which he had come inside of her, usually a decision made in the heat of the moment. _Dammit._ He _knew_ it would one day come back to bite him in the ass…

* * *

**November 1, 1984 - 4:26 pm**

**Milwaukee, WI – Jackie Burkhart's Apartment**

Tired and soaking wet, Jackie ambled through the front door of her small apartment, prematurely darkened by the blanket of storm clouds outside, and dropped both her drenched sweater and purse to the floor. Tossing her keys carelessly on the couch, she immediately noticed that the air inside was freezing, making her first order of business to turn up the thermostat. The gauge read 62 degrees. Screw it, she thought as she turned it up to 76; she would worry about her electric bill another day. Today, she was going to make herself comfortable.

Switching on the living room lamps, Jackie finally noticed the leftover remnants of her outfit indecision from the day before scattered all over the floor. Her plundered make-up case lay open on the coffee table while an open can of Diet Rite sat precariously on the edge. It was merely her mess from the day before—her place was always at least a _little_ messy—but somehow the sight of it spurred a strange emotion, and she found it difficult to look back at a yesterday that now seemed a million miles away. The evidence of it made her want to cry and a painful chill ran up her spine. But instead of resorting to tears, Jackie decided she just needed to relax and warm up; it was still so cold.

Second order of business: a hot, bubble bath.

As her bare feet made contact with the ice cold tiles of her bathroom floor, Jackie cursed herself for not grabbing her slippers first. A mug of cream-filled coffee—laced with Kalua—in one hand and a rubber pillow in the other, she prepared her bath, tossing the pillow in the empty bathtub and placing the mug on a small table nearby. The hotter the better, she figured, as she filled the tub and added some of Betsy's Mr. Bubble to the thick, steaming stream of water, having run out of her own kind days before. Fuck it, Betsy seemed to like it. Jackie finally slipped off that damned skirt—too sexy for its own good, she thought, kicking it off—along with the rest of her clothing before sinking her tensed body into what felt like liquid gold, melted down just for her.

She sighed at the heat as it surrounded her, defrosting her practically frozen bones and warming her skin. Her head resting on the half-moon shaped bath pillow, Jackie stared straight ahead at her burnt-sienna painted toes as they peaked above the water line at her. As she relaxed, she idly wondered what Hyde was doing, if he had made it this far with their secret. The last time she saw his eyes, back in the basement, they were almost calling out to her, begging for help. She couldn't shake the feeling that he needed her, or maybe she didn't want to. He just seemed so…lost.

As Jackie lay, buried in bubbles, something caught her eye. In her peripheral vision, to her right, was a bottle of Pert she had purchased for Colin. She hated that shampoo herself but he refused to use conditioner—which drove her nuts—and it was the only way to slip some in his hair. Apparently, it was for 'chicks only' but the little shit had no idea that Pert was a combo, 'shampoo-plus conditioner,' and was lathering it on thick during their last shower together. Jackie laughed to herself. Sucker_. Oh,_ _God_. Her head dropped back onto the pillow and in the warm steam of the room, knowing that all that heavy rain was outside, knowing that he was out there somewhere, made her long for him. The need to see him, to feel him, was strong, and she needed a reminder—an image other than of Steven Hyde—to bring Colin back to her thoughts, like that stupid bottle of Pert. Jackie hugged the lime green bottle and slipped down in the tub, closing her eyes and smelling the sweet scent of 'shampoo plus conditioner' and Colin.

When Jackie was finished with her bath, about thirty minutes later, she slipped on her favorite white robe and flipped her hair into a towel, quickly plopping her terrycloth clad body onto the couch. With the remote, she flipped through her seven channel options and found nothing. Sighing loudly, she flung the remote to her side and got off the couch, shuffling quickly into her room. Her bed never looked, or felt, as good as this, she thought, as she slipped underneath the covers and snuggled in.

It couldn't have been but five minutes later, Jackie figured, looking at the clock, when she heard her front door open. "Jackie?"

Jackie's heart skipped a beat. "Baby, I'm in here!"

The room was so dark that she could barely see him when he stopped at her bedroom door. "What's up, baby? Why are you in bed?"

"I'm just tired. Turn on the light," she called out, sitting up. Jackie followed his form toward the lamp on her bedside table and when the light flipped on, there he was: teal eyes smiling down at her, hair soaking wet, dress shirt un-tucked and un-buttoned on top—looking a mess—with his tie flung over his shoulder, but God, he never looked so good. Jackie leaped up and draped her arms around his neck, her hand sliding up over his dark hair, drenched from the rain. "Baby, I'm so glad you're here!" He hugged her tightly and she finally exhaled; this was the feeling that she needed. "God, I missed you!"

"I missed you, too," he replied, slightly confused at her enthusiasm.

Jackie pulled away. "God, you're soaked, Colin."

He nodded. "Yeah, it's bad out there." He grinned and went in for a kiss but she stopped him, her guilt taking the form of a slightly frantic and desperate need to care for him.

"You need to get out of those clothes," she said, tugging at his suit jacket. Never taking his eyes off her, Colin began to slip off his jacket for her.

"Jackie, I'm really sorry about last night. There was nothing I could do, baby." The look on his face and his remorse over something so medial made her want to cry and confess everything about Hyde, but she focused on his clothes instead as he dropped his coat to the floor.

"Colin! It's gonna wrinkle!"

"So?" Jackie groaned and got off the bed, picking it up and stomping toward a nearby chair where she hung it. "Colin, you have to take care of suits." He shrugged as she returned to his side and abrasively began to unbutton his shirt.

"Jackie, slow down," he said, watching her nervously pull apart his remaining buttons. "What are you doing? Why are you freaking out about my clothes?"

"I'm not! They're just expensive and you just _never_ take care of them!"

"Cause I hate them," he said, bewildered, as she spun him around and slipped off his shirt. "Jackie." Standing shirtless, and feeling strangely violated, Colin turned back around and cupped her cheeks, holding her head toward him and forcing her to look at him. "Jackie, _what_ is the matter with you?" Upon her look of sorrow, tears pooling just above her lower lids, he finally understood, or thought he did, anyway. "Look, baby, I'm _sorry_. I tried to tell them. I told that asshole that I had plans and he didn't fucking care. There was nothing I could do, Jackie."

"I don't care," she murmured, her eyes focused somewhere around his bare sternum.

"I'm…I know you wanted to go, baby," he sighed. "I'm sorry. I _really_ am, ok?"

"I don't care about that. I'm not _mad_ at you. I just…I missed you," she cried as he pulled her in for a hug as gasping sobs wracked her tiny frame.

"Jackie. Will you please just tell me what's wrong? Did you have a bad day or something?" Upon Jackie's languorous nod, Colin pondered a moment before reaching over to shut out the light and picked her up, drawing her legs up around his waist. "Come on," he whispered. "Let's lay down." Her body still held securely in his arms, Colin kicked of his shoes and lowered them onto the bed, tucking them both underneath the covers.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as he pulled her close. "I don't…I guess I'm just having a bad day."

"Just tell me what happened, Jackie."

"Nothing. I just…I'm tired. I was up late and I'm hung-over."

He let out a chuckle. "That's it? That's why you're crying? You're hung-over?"

Jackie smiled, suddenly forgetting all about her tears. She'd forgotten how easily he could make her smile. "I guess," she giggled. "If you think I'm bad, you should see Donna." Momentarily freed of all thoughts of Hyde, Jackie closed her eyes as her boyfriend's smiling lips descended over her neck. With soft moans, he laid lazy kisses on her Mr. Bubble-scented skin, his stubble scratching lightly and making her sigh happily in his ear, "Oh, baby I _like_ that."

"I know you do," he breathed out, obviously turned on to her, his hands beginning to roam over every curve and arc of her body. "God, last night," he confessed, "when I was stuck in that bullshit meeting, all I did was think about doing this." Shamefully, Jackie squeezed her eyes shut while his mouth continued to lovingly devour her. She deserved to rot in hell was all she could think. While this man was thinking about her, she was tongue deep in her ex-boyfriend, and still thinking about it, still, even as Colin slowly slid his own tongue inside her mouth. God, he was a good kisser, though. "Mm. So, what'd you do last night?" he asked, pulling away from her.

"Huh? Oh! We went to the boat last night," Jackie said, a little confused, forgetting that the last word Colin heard was that she wasn't going.

"You did?" He lifted his head. "Oh. Well, how was it?"

"Oh my God, baby. You would've loved it. There was this room when you first walk in where there was blood all over the walls and zombies came out of those little metal things in morgues and chased us out into this hall where something jumped out of me and Michael freaked out and shoved me!" she giggled. "And then there was this other hall with like the same thing," Colin nodded as she rambled, listening intently and trying to keep up. The girl could talk. "…the maze and then Steven and I couldn't find Michael or Brooke or anybody…"

"Steven?"

"Oh…yeah. Hyde, I mean."

"Where was Jessica?"

"Oh, um. She had to work."

"Wait. How did you get in without a costume?" he asked, forgetting all about Hyde for a moment, someone he really wasn't concerned with.

"Fez let me and Ste…Hyde borrow his and Amy's costumes. I mean, it was just t-shirts but it got us in."

"Fez and Amy didn't go?"

"No. Amy's sick."

"Oh," Able to practically _feel_ his tension, Jackie could tell that Colin was becoming irritated in his silence as he made a few quick calculations in his head. "So, you went as Hyde's date?"

Jackie swallowed so hard, she swore it must have sounded like a nuclear bomb. "Yeah. But it was just to get in."

"Did he act like a fucking dick to you, like he usually does?" His voice was elevated and Jackie immediately sat up and climbed over him, straddling his hips.

"No. No, he was really nice to me," she assured him, running her hands up his smooth chest, trying her best to direct his thoughts toward her and away from Hyde.

"You sure? Cause Jackie, I know you asked me to try with him, but the way he fuckin' talks to you…"

"No. He was fine, baby. We made a deal to be civil to each other, and we were." Nervous as hell, but smiling anyway, Jackie untied her robe and lowered her naked chest to meet his, resting her cheek on his warm skin. "I don't wanna talk about it anymore, baby. I missed you," she whispered, sure of her success as the manhood beneath Colin's suit slacks hardened beneath her, his hands working up and under the hem of her robe…

* * *

**Hyde's Apartment – 6: 38 pm**

A towel tied tightly around his hips, Hyde cautiously stepped out of the bathroom and looked around, finding no sign of Jessica. The last he'd seen of her, she was crying, looking beautiful, but sad, and maybe even a little pissed. "Shit. Jess?" A few tentative steps towards his bedroom and her faint cries finally found his ears. Hyde's gaze fell to the floor—man, he deserved to burn in hell for this. "Jessica," he conceded as he walked toward the bed, "Babe, come on. I'm sorry." He sat down and immediately watched her roll away from him. Yeah, she was pissed alright. "Look. I know I'm acting like a…like a…"

"A dick," she offered quietly.

Hyde chuckled to himself. "Yeah, a big one. But, look, I swear it's not you."

"Then what is it?" he heard her ask softly. Lying down to gently spoon her body with his, Hyde draped an arm over Jessica's waist and softly kissed her exposed shoulder blade as a peace offering.

"I was just tired, Jess." A few more of his sweetest yet rarely seen 'I'm sorry' kisses—what should have done the trick—didn't seem to be working tonight; Jessica remained quiet. Hyde was sure he deserved it. He was a bastard, he knew. The girl had done nothing but love him unconditionally and yet, something made him stray. There was really nothing she could have done to prevent it, he realized. The night before, he had been craving Jackie and there was little that could, or would, have stopped him from having her, even the love of this beautiful girl. Unsure of how to handle the situation, Hyde sighed loudly, hoping to get a response out of her—any kind of response.

But he got nothing.

Placing light kisses down her arm, Hyde had a thought, and in an instant, finally grasped why Jessica wouldn't speak to him. God damn it, Red was right; he_ was_ a dumb-ass. Bracing himself for the worst, Hyde gave her a squeeze. "What was it you wanted to tell me?"

* * *

**Jackie's Apartment – 6:31 pm**

"God, baby," Jackie whimpered; the added stimulation of Colin's strong fingers digging into her hips, forcing her down over him as she rocked faster and faster was carrying her quickly into orgasm. "Oh, God!"

"Fuck, baby, come," he growled, vigorously guiding Jackie's hips until he felt her inner muscles pulse around him. His head fell back on her pillow, already wet from his hair. "Oh, Fuck." Though her small body was spent, Jackie collapsed slightly over his chest but continued to bounce for him as he came inside her. "God damn, Jackie."

Exhausted and trying to regain her pre-orgasmic wits, Jackie lay wilted over Colin's body as she slowly began to feel the sharp stab of guilt pierce through her heart once again. All she could suppose was that she probably shouldn't have done that; if Colin knew what she had done, he would have never stayed, never held her, never kissed her and told her he loved her as she languidly rolled her hips over his. If Colin only knew that flashes of her ex from the night before plagued her mind even as he whispered sweet words to her, or worse, when he made her come. God, she would be lucky to burn in hell for this. Jackie had hoped that sex with Colin would banish Steven Hyde from her brain, but so far, he was still there, clear as a summer's day.

Kissing her boyfriend's broad chest and listening to the thump of his sweet heart, Jackie let her lips linger over his skin, savoring the taste. "I love you," she whispered, praying that this would not be the last time because, God, it very well could be.

"I love you, too."

Smoothing her cheeks over the faint peaks of his muscles and hugging him tightly, Jackie neared tears. God, he was so good to her, so sweet, but yet, he never let her get away with her bullshit. He called her out and kept her grounded, all while loving her with every part of himself. What made her stray from this? Blinking back her stubborn tears, she glanced up at him and whispered, "Stay with me tonight."

Colin's hands fell gently over her, massaging her back as he grinned down at her. "I was hoping you would say that."

* * *

**Hyde's Apartment - 6:48pm**

"Dammit, Jessica! Will you stop being such a fucking pain in the ass and just tell me!" Hyde got up off the bed. "God _damn_ it!"

"No! I don't _want_ to tell you anymore! You're screaming at me!" She angrily shouted back.

Hyde turned around, practically shaking from his aggravation, and pointed at her. "I'm only screaming at you cause you won't tell me!"

"No. I'm only_ not_ telling you cause you're screaming at me!"

Frustrated as hell, Hyde briefly considered walking over to the bed and wringing her neck—Fuck, she was infuriating!—but composed himself instead. The last thing she deserved today was to be yelled at. _Fuck!_ "I'm not playing this game with you tonight, Jessica," he asserted, calmly. "I'm just not."

"Fine, then you can just play with _yourself_ tonight because _I'm_ going home," Jessica announced as she stood up, grabbed her jeans and breezed past him into the living room. Staring thoughtfully at the crumpled sheets on his bed, Hyde suddenly felt his guilt return, headily mixed with an overpowering desire to make her stay.

"Jessica," he called out as he moved into the darkened living room where she was quickly dressing. "Jess, come on."

"No. Don't worry. You'll be rid of me like you wanted," she said, near tears. A few moments later, Hyde watched her move toward the door and quickly caught her from behind before she could turn the knob, holding her exit shut with a single arm. His body pinning her in place, her breasts pressed up against the door, Hyde coiled his other arm around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I don't wanna be rid of you. I _want_ you to stay." Jessica remained motionless, simply breathing with him for several minutes as the room closed in around them. "Please don't go," he added.

"I don't _want_ to go, Steven. But I'm not gonna stay here and be treated like shit all night."

"I'm _not_ gonna…Crap. Look, I'm sorry. I guess…I'm just a little…I don't know, _worried_ about what it is you have to tell me." That, among other things, he thought.

Her face turning sour with confusion, Jessica spun around. "Worried about what? It's not like I'm…" A look of realization swept over her face. "You thought I was pregnant, didn't you?"

"I don't know," he mumbled, keeping his eyes glued to the floor below them. Responding only to her fingers as they slid underneath his chin, Hyde flipped his eyes up to meet her gaze and watched her face soften. "You're not?" he asked quietly, feeling slightly like a dumb-ass for thinking she could be in the first place, and okay, acting like an ass about it.

"No," she answered, raising her hands to his cheeks. "I would've told you something like that right away, baby. Plus, I'm on the pill, Steven, you know that." Nodding, Hyde pulled her in for a hug and thanked God for small favors, well in this case, a very big favor. The sweet smell of her hair drew him in further as he buried his face into her neck and gave her the rueful nuzzle of a man shamed.

"I'm sorry."

"I know," she assured him, combing her fingers through his hair, oblivious to just _how_ much he had to be sorry for.

"Are you gonna tell me or what?"

Sighing, Jessica smiled. "Yeah."

* * *

**Jackie's Apartment – 7:18 pm**

Colin smirked from his perch on the kitchen counter and watched with curiosity as Jackie aimlessly toddled around the kitchen. "Baby, what are you doing?"

"Making you dinner."

"What are you making?" he asked, taking a swig off his bottle of Budweiser, already pretty confident of her answer.

"Spaghetti."

His smile grew. _Yep_. He knew it. It was all she ever made. It was all she knew _how_ to make. "Can't wait, baby," he offered, eliciting a bright smile from Jackie along with a bashful shrug that made him only love her more, if that were possible. God damn, she was cute. "Hey Jackie?"

"Yeah," she replied as she silently handed him a large jar of Ragu to open. Colin grinned, but instead of opening it, he set it down beside him and gripped her waist, pulling her assertively between his thighs. "Come here, baby. There's something I gotta tell you." His long pause and the apologetic look on his face scared her. "I have to leave again," he said with a cringe.

Her eyebrows furrowed in upset, Jackie's tensed shoulders fell. "What? Why?"

"I have to go back to New York," he answered, saddened as he watched her face fall in disappointment. Locking her still with his legs, Colin was forced to hold her pouting head to maintain eye contact. "But, I was kind of hoping that …that you would come with me. It's only until the fifteenth."

"Colin, I have to work. I can't just leave."

"I know," he acknowledged as she wriggled free and walked away, back to her pot of boiling water. "Look. What if I flew you out on the weekend?"

"Wait. First class?" she asked, spinning around and smiling excitedly.

Colin shook his head, amazed at the girl's conveniently short attention span. "_No._ You'd have to fly in the dirty, poor people section like the rest of us peasants."

"Wait a second, your work doesn't fly you First Class?"

"Pft! _No_. I'm scum. I'm at the bottom of the kiss-ass ladder," Colin took another swill of his beer and resigned himself to watch Jackie's ass as she moved throughout the small kitchen. "I fly coach, baby; the fat cats fly First Class."

"Well, why aren't you a 'fat cat'?"

"Cause I don't wanna be a 'fat cat.' I wanna get my paycheck and come home to my extremely hot girlfriend before she's too tired to have lots and lots of sex with me," he said, grinning wide.

Jackie smiled. "Oh," she responded with a giggle. "Okay." But in the wake of her smile there trailed sorrow. Like always, Jackie Burkhart was putting on her bravest face. But underneath it all, she was scared, terrified—of losing him and of losing her grip on her own peace of mind. Colin was beautiful and wonderful but every long blink she took since arriving home beleaguered her once tranquil mind.

_"Me, too."_

* * *

**Hyde's Apartment**

Hyde jaw clenched. "What the fuck, Jessica?"

"Steven, just listen to me," she said, hugging his waist as he tried to twist away from her. "I want you to come with me. Will you _please_ look at me?" When blue eyes finally bore into hers, she continued. "I want you to come with me, baby."

"And how the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"It's only an hour commute," she reasoned.

"Then why don't _you_ just stay _here…_and commute_ there_?" he reasoned back.

"Because I can't."

Hyde was beyond livid. "_Why not?"_

"Steven, will you _please_ just think about it? We can find a great place and you could still drive here everyday to the store. It's not that far."

Hyde stared at her, his gaze dancing between her chestnut eyes, wide with worry. "Jessica, I don't get it. Why can't _you_ just commute? Why the hell would you have to move _there_," he spat, pissed off as he stalked away from her and plopped himself down on the couch, stubbornly resting his head on his balled-up fist and scowling at nothing.

It was times like these when Jessica was confident that he really did care about her, liked her, maybe even loved her—probably not loved—but he cared, a lot, he did. Cautiously, Jessica made her way over to the man she loved and settled in on his lap, straddling him. "Baby?" she cautiously started, her voice serene to his ears, as usual. "I _have_ to go. My dad said he'd pay for my apartment if I moved closer to him and his office. Steven, I can barely afford my rent here; I _have_ to go. Will you _please_ understand? I don't wanna go without _you_. Won't you just think about it?" Hyde's silence and refusal to even glance in her direction prompted her to sadly continue; he was breaking her heart, as usual. "Baby, I love you so much, and I'm not asking for a commitment, I just..." Jessica sighed out of despair; he was still quiet and so, so stubborn. Although the ironic thing was that it was one of his traits that made her love him so much. She started to cry, loving him was fucking exhausting. "I'll be back on the 17th, Steven, so can you just promise me you'll at least consider it. _Please_, baby. You don't even have to make a decision right now; I'm not moving until after New Years."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Hyde officially established this November day as 'Worst Day Ever.' No, wait...'Third Worst Day Ever.' No Wait. That was wrong, too. _'Fourth_ Worst Day Ever.' _Fuck_. He figured that guilt and the lingering taste of a certain brunette's lips would consume him and eat him whole today, but now he found anger and misery moving in to finish him off instead.

"I'm just gonna go," he heard Jessica softly whisper. Startled out of his thoughts by the sensation of her body leaving his, Hyde closed his arms around her hips and barred her departure. A rush of sensation burned through his chest as he grabbed his girlfriend roughly, seizing her lips in a brutal kiss. God, she had to know; he didn't want her to leave, but he wasn't about to uproot his life for her either. Sensing the desperation hidden behind the urgency of his kiss, Jessica retreated from Hyde's lap and took hold of his hand. "Come on, baby," she purred. "I know how to make you feel better." Hyde stood up and let her guide him back into the bedroom. They would save this conversation for another day…

* * *

**Two days later – Saturday November 3, 1984 – 5:01 pm**

**Milwaukee, WI - the home of Michael and Brooke **

Mr. and Mrs. John Kelso  
and  
Miss Caroline Spencer  
request the honor of your presence  
at the marriage of their children  
Michael M. Kelso  
and  
Brooke A. Spencer  
on  
the morning of  
Saturday, December 1st 1984  
at eleven o'clock  
First Presbyterian Church  
Milwaukee, Wisconsin  
Reception to follow  
Lakeside-South Marriot

Fanning herself with the fancy white card, Jackie fell back whimsically onto the couch. "Oh my God, Brooke. This is beautiful! God, I cannot _wait_ until Colin and I make wedding invitations!"

"Shouldn't you wait until he actually _asks_ you to marry him first?" she heard a voice chime in from the kitchen.

Jackie's eyes thinned in anger. _Michael M. Kelso's_ screechy voice was cutting through her last fucking nerve today and she didn't know why. Sitting up, Jackie fixed her deadliest glare in his direction as he arrogantly strutted into the room, chewing on a big, fat bologna sandwich. "Michael, why haven't you left yet?"

"Because the game doesn't start for another two hours so unh!" he said, showing her his half-chewed snack.

"Ew!" Mere seconds away from burning Kelso, Jackie was quickly distracted by the sounds of tiny baby screams closing in on her. And before she knew it, twenty-one month old Bradley Kelso had thrown his giggling body onto her lap. "Hey! Where were you?" she asked, picking him up.

Sitting on the floor near Jackie's feet, counting invitations, Brooke laughed. "He uh, has a thing now for hiding in closets, 'Hide and go seek' with Betsy."

Her mouth dropping open melodramatically, Jackie's wide eyes forced a laugh out of the small boy. "Were you hiding?" He nodded happily. "Oh no!"

"Man, this sucks," Kelso announced as he stared at the television's local new broadcast. "The game got canceled cause of all the stupid rain!"

"What game is it anyway?" Jackie asked, sticking her tongue out at the baby.

"The Packers are playing the Bear's at Memorial Stadium. Hyde got two tickets."

Jackie looked up. "Wait. What? _Steven's_ coming _here_?"

"Well, yeah. But the game's canceled so... Oh!" Kelso hurried over to Brooke and knelt down, giving her his best 'please' pout. "Can we go to Brian and Cathy's party next door now?"

Brooke shook her head. "_You_ can. I have invitations to fill out, Michael."

"But I want you to come, baby," Kelso whined. "I wanna hang out with you."

"Well then stay here with me and Jackie and help. We can watch that movie you rented and if we hurry and get this done, maybe we can _all_ go."

Kelso stood up, his son bouncing close behind as he walked over to the television console and grabbed a VHS rental off the top. "Yeah!" Kelso growled excitedly. "The Terminator! Hyde won't be as pissed about the game if I distract him with the_ Terminator_," he roared into his son's face, making him squeal and run off to find his big sister.

"Wait, no," Jackie interrupted as Kelso laughed, "Steven can't stay here!" She stood up and approached him anxiously. "He just can't, Michael!"

Kelso grimaced at her. "He's coming from Point Place, Jackie, I can't send him back." Upon Jackie's dirty look, her hands scornfully on her hips as she tapped her foot, Kelso lost it. "Look lady! He's my friend and I wanna hang out with him!"

"No!"

"Yes! So just keep your tongue out of his mouth for one night and everything should be fine!"

"Michael!" Brooke scolded.

"Sorry, baby," Kelso said, before turning back to Jackie, his head hung slightly as he rolled his eyes. "_Sorry, Jackie_."

Nerve-wracked, Jackie continued. "Michael, I'm serious. Just take him to a bar or something or else I'm going home." She knew there was no way she could see him, not yet, she just couldn't. Time was what she needed, she had eventually realized after three straight days of thinking about him and their night together. It was hard enough getting him out of her head without having to see his face, hear his voice or even be _near_ him right now. _God!_ Maybe he grew that ugly mustache back in the last three days, Jackie thought, crossing her fingers; she could only hope.

"No, no, no!" Brooke insisted loudly, her eyes wide with panic, _"You_ are not going _anywhere_, Jackie! I need you to help me fill out these invitations! I have to prepare _one hundred and forty _of them by Monday! So, sit your butt down, and start writing!" Brooke pointed Jackie toward a basket of metallic-silver calligraphy pens and her half of the list—70 names and addresses to be exact. "_You're_ the maid of honor and _this_," she pointed, "is _your_ job! And _Hyde_ is the best man, so you better get _really_ used to being around him!"

Without a single argumentative word, Jackie nervously sat down, a tiny bit afraid of Brooke. She never realized that brides could be so scary. The high-maintenance brunette shivered at the thought of herself as a bride—shit, heads would _roll_. "Fine," Jackie grumbled to Brooke just as the doorbell rang, making her heart sink down into her stomach_. Please have a mustache. Please have mustache. Please have a mustache. Please have a mustache. Please have a mustache…_

To Be Continued.

* * *

**A/N2:** Oh, man. You guys are going to like, hunt me down with torches and big sticks now, huh? Just _please_ be patient, young grasshoppers—Steven Hyde is at the door. Okay, now, _this _is where I usually beg pathetically for reviews and then 95 of you ignore me. There are a handful of you—thank god for you, too—who have been great and reviewed your little hearts out. It's just so depressing to watch my stats and how many read versus how many actually review. It makes all of us authors feel bad, unfortunately. I know it shouldn't, but it does. So for those of you who do take the time to hit that little 'submit review' button, I just wanna say thank you SO much. I think I'm gonna stop begging pathetically for reviews, because well, I'm starting to worry that maybe 'please' _isn't_ the magic word. I guess my mama was wrong. Oh, well. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: I'm Just a Jealous Guy **

**A/N: **If I could give you all a big, grateful hug, I would. Thank you so much for the reviews. You guys kick ass! This chapter is long since… well, it's a long night. Anyway, I am _pleading_ with you all to go to YouTube and listen to the songs I included. The 80's was a fun time for music, and I think listening will add to the mood. PLEASE! A cookie to anyone who actually does it! The first song is not an 80's song though; it's "Jealous guy" by John Lennon, the underlying theme for this chapter. So PLEASE listen, because here it comes…

* * *

**Previously: **

"Fine," Jackie grumbled to Brooke just as the doorbell rang, making her heart sink down into her stomach_. Please have a mustache. Please have mustache. Please have a mustache. Please have a mustache. Please have a mustache… _

* * *

…Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh… 

I was dreaming of the past  
And my heart was beating fast  
I began to lose control  
I began to lose control

_If Hyde's memory was serving him correctly, Jackie must have been around seventeen years old, and God, was she beautiful, especially when she had glared down at him, fired up like a lit firecracker in the middle of the Hub… _

_"Steven, why are you being so difficult?" _

_God, how the hell could she not know? Hyde could still recall the surge of anger that brought him to his feet to face her. It was probably the most vivid image he held of that particular conversation. "Jackie. No amount of tattoos or toe rings are gonna fix the fact that you've got a lot to apologize for." _

I didn't mean to hurt you  
I'm sorry that I made you cry  
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you  
I'm just a jealous guy

_"You're the one who should apologize!" Pft! Right. There was no way in fucking hell she was getting another apology, not after what she had done. _

_"Well then I guess we're not getting back together," he had declared, re-taking his seat. _

_"I guess we're not." Beneath his stubbornly folded arms, his chest had tightened. Why wasn't she arguing or… crying? He had figured that his words would upset her and send her apologizing form straight onto his lap, winning him another kiss like the one he had gotten the night before—prior to the stunt he had pulled with Raquel. "Oh, and by the way, you don't deserve a real tattoo! But if I were to get one, I'd show it to __Fez__ before I'd ever show it you!" _

I was feeling insecure  
You might not love me anymore  
I was shivering inside  
I was shivering inside

_She had walked away from him at that moment , and although he made sure to maintain his indifferent facade, he instantly felt his loneliness return. It made him sick to realize how much he missed her; it was bullshit, really. Then he watched the moron sitting across from him smile. "I hope she gets it on her heinie." _

Seven years away, Steven Hyde chuckled to himself. Moron.

_"Man, I'm gettin' outta here. You coming?" _

_"No, Kelso is meeting me here soon," __Fez__ had replied happily. _

Oh, I didn't mean to hurt you  
I'm sorry that I made you cry  
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you  
I'm just a jealous guy

_"Whatever. I'll just catch ya later then." Exiting the Hub and heading toward the El Camino, he dissected the things Jackie said and came to the conclusion that the girl was out of her mind. HE was supposed to apologize? For what? For making an ass out of himself for her? For competing with his best friend—who she CLAIMED she was over—for an ounce of her pity and love. Apologize? Why? Was it SO wrong to expect a little affection and loyalty from the girl he thought loved him, who he had confessed his love to, like an idiot? No way. Fuck her. _

_Once inside his car, Hyde flipped on the radio, anything to get that damn girl out of his head. He was so drained from thinking about her. Turning the dial, the first sound he heard was the sorrowful whistle of John Lennon. Fucking Yoko, he thought, she probably drove John nuts, too—the poor bastard was practically on his knees, apologizing. But just like Jackie, Yoko probably said she'd need the summer to think about it. Fucking broads. _

I didn't mean to hurt you  
I'm sorry that I made you cry  
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you  
I'm just a jealous guy

_Even all these years later, it was disheartening to recall how pathetic his life had been in those days. He had been so miserable, so in denial of his puppy love for Jackie. Yet he had understood her anger, even then. He wasn't Kelso. He was always aware that an apology, another one, was what she deserved after he had cheated and betrayed her trust. But his stubbornness and pride continually got in the way, making that impossible. _

_All of his faults, he had decided as he sat in his car that day, all of his shortcomings, had failed him, and her. His distrust, his jealousy, his impulsivity, his thoughtlessness, his anger, and his cruelty, they had all failed them both. And Raquel, well she had been for show, and it was that insensitivity and rancorous spirit that had placed him right back to where he started: without his favorite girl. _

I was trying to catch your eyes  
Thought that you was trying to hide  
I was swallowing my pain  
I was swallowing my pain

_Hyde could recall listening to Lennon's serene voice on that far away afternoon and actually punching the steering wheel. God, how he was missing her that day. Upon the memory, twenty-five year old Steven Hyde snickered at himself; it was he who had been the moron, not __Fez__. Well, they all were, really. All of them were complete morons back then, and he and Jackie had been in love, but were simply too young, too stupid, to know how to handle it. He should have apologized to her like she deserved that day; he knew that now. Should have, but didn't… _

**Saturday November 3, 1984**** – ****5:04 pm**

…Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh….

_I didn't mean to hurt you  
I'm sorry that I made you cry  
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you  
I'm just a jealous guy… _

Steven Hyde watched twin windshield wipers swish violently in rhythm together, both doing little to help guide him through the torrential rain as he crept through bumper to bumper traffic. The El Camino was finally approaching the front of the line and suddenly his eye caught a glimpse of bright orange, forcing him to stop. Into clear view appeared the neon trench coat of a soaked police officer, walking toward him and pointing away. Hyde turned off the radio and rolled down his window.

"You're gonna have to turn around," the cop yelled over the rain. "This whole street is washed out!" Behind the officer sat the stalled out and abandoned cars of people who had driven directly into the raging river where a street had once been.

"Oh, man," Hyde looked around, and then returned his attention to the officer. "Hey, do you know Michael Kelso?"

"Yeah," she answered warily, "you a friend of his?"

"Yeah. I'm trying to get to his house, but I only knew the way through this street."

The woman directed Hyde around the flooded out road and he soon found his way again, eventually pulling up in front of his friend's house. He wasn't sure why he hadn't just turned around and headed back to Point Place the minute he heard about the collapse, but the reality was that there was nothing at home for him tonight or for a while it seemed. Abandoning the shelter of his car, Hyde made a run through the deluge of rain, getting drenched in his wasted effort to stay dry. Once safely underneath the aridness of Kelso's front porch, he rang the doorbell…

* * *

_…Please have a mustache. Please have mustache. Please have a mustache. Please have a mustache. Please have a mustache…_

"I got it!" Kelso screeched, dashing for the door, as if he had competition.

From the family room couch, Jackie looked over at Brooke, slightly concerned. "Brooke, I don't know if I can see him right now."

"Well you're gonna have to see him sometime."

"I know," Jackie groaned, freezing the moment she heard his muffled voice. "Oh my God."

Kelso angrily whipped open his entry door. "Hey, man! Guess what!"

"I already know," Hyde said, stepping inside. "And it sucks, too. I haven't been to a Packer's game in like six years."

"Well, I don't get it man; they play in blizzards all the time and they can't handle a little rain?"

"Kelso. One of the roofs collapsed cause of all the rain." Kelso still appeared extremely confused so Hyde continued. "On people, man."

"Oh… well, but the field's fine, right?"

"Kelso! Oh, forget it. So what do you wanna do tonight?"

"Well, I got a movie and there's a party next door." Making his way through the house, with Hyde following close behind, Kelso left the front living room, walked through the kitchen and almost made it to the extended family room before he was stopped by Hyde's hand at the sound of Jackie's voice. Hyde turned Kelso around and pushed him back into the living room. "What's she doing here, man?"

"She's always here."

_Crap._ Hyde hadn't even considered that she would be there, even though she did only live a few blocks away—according to Kelso, anyway. And she _was_ pretty good friends with Brooke. "Well, why don't me and you head out? Huh? Go to a bar or something."

Kelso shook his head. "Can't, buddy. We gotta help fill out wedding invitations."

"What?" The two old friends shared a disgusted look before Hyde made a charge at the front door. "I'm outta here."

"Hyde!" Kelso called out, following his angry friend, "You suck, man! You're gonna actually run away because you're afraid of a chick? Man, we never get to hang out. I was excited all day today," Kelso whined.

Stopping in his tracks, Hyde turned around, his body tense and his eyes set ablaze with anxiety as he explained himself to his friend. "Man, Kelso, I just can't be around her right now, ok?"

"Why? Cause of a stupid kiss? Man, Hyde, when did you turn into such a huge pussy?" Rather unsure, Hyde shrugged and Kelso continued. "Look, dude. If I stayed away from every chick whose mouth I violated, I'd be…I'd… Well, I wouldn't be around very much, ok? So come on," he said, putting his arm over Hyde's shoulder and guiding his reluctant friend's body back toward the kitchen. "She probably forgot all about it, anyway. I was always a _much_ better kisser than you," Kelso assured him.

Hyde grimaced. "How the hell would you know?"

"I can just tell."

_Several minutes later… _

From her place on the couch, her back to the kitchen bar, Jackie couldn't see the two boys walking in, but damn it, she could sense them, and once Brooke's wide eyes darted in her direction, she knew. A sharp inhale marked the moment Hyde's hazy form entered her peripheral vision.

_Please have a mustache. Please have mustache._ What the hell was she so nervous about, she wondered? Jackie made the conscious decision to control her breathing just as Hyde walked around the sectional sofa and smiled weakly at her.

"Hey."

_Breathe._

"Hey," she returned with a smile. Damn it! His face was perfect, no mustache, not a flaw to be found. Damn him. Why did he have to be so cute? Jackie's heart bounded uncontrollably in her chest as he closed in on her and sat down to her immediate right. An entire fucking couch, she thought, and he sits RIGHT here! How she wanted to strangle him.

_Breathe._ God, he smelled good.

For what seemed like a lifetime, Hyde sat next to Jackie in silence—both awkwardly staring straight ahead—as he rallied his nerves and waited for Kelso to distract Brooke. "Hey baby," Kelso asked her, winking at Hyde. "Could you come here for a second?"

"Sure." As Brooke left the room with her fiancé, a suspicious look on her face, Hyde leaned toward Jackie and whispered in her ear.

"So how'd it go?"

The brunette startled him by abruptly twisting rightwards to face him, her colorful eyes only inches from his and wide with surprise. "Oh my God. I thought you were gonna be all jerky or ignore me like you usually do!" she yipped, smacking his arm. "You scared me!"

"I _just_ got here," he reminded her, confused by her admission as he flinched at her smacks. Jesus, did she really think he was _that_ big of a dick?

Covering her pounding heart with trembling hands, Jackie settled her eyes on him. "God, Steven," she confessed, "I was so nervous when you came in."

He gave her a slight smile. "Yeah, me, too." Watching her anxiety play out so blatantly before him gave Hyde a sense of relief that he wasn't expecting. She was always so transparent but the look on her face during his approach had made him nervous, too. "So, you didn't answer me. How'd it go? Wait, Colin isn't here, is he?" Hyde looked around suddenly conscious of the boyfriend he would be pissing off when, or if, their secret was ever revealed.

"No." Jackie answered solemnly, shaking her head. "He's in New York. But, he doesn't know." The words, saying them out loud, especially to Hyde, made Jackie feel even guiltier—if that were possible these days. "So… how about Jessica? How'd it go with her?"

"Terrible," Hyde answered, flipping his hand up in frustration. "I acted like an idiot and we fought for two days until she left." The look on Jackie's face forced him to clarify his statement. "No, but she doesn't know."

"Wait, she _left_ you?"

"_No_," he replied, as if the question was preposterous. That girl would NEVER leave him, and he knew it. Maybe that was the problem, he wondered, maybe that was why his mind had drifted so far from her on Halloween night. Jessica was safely his, no matter what he did. She had successfully convinced him that he need never be afraid of losing her. Disgusted with himself, Hyde sighed at the realization that he was an asshole. "She went to Minneapolis with her dad, I dunno, for some bullshit business trip."

Sitting on the couch and scanning the room around her, Jackie felt at ease for the first time in three days. Aside from their collective breathing, which was slowly growing in sync, and the pounding rain outside, the room was silent. She glanced over at Hyde and realized that he was just as plagued over their drunken indiscretion as she was. She assumed that the past few days must have been rough on him, too. His brow was furrowed in deep thought and he was tapping his foot subconsciously, a sure sign that his mind was in turmoil. It made her want to hug him, comb through his hair, make him feel better. But deep down, she worried that he would get the wrong idea.

"Steven," she began, rotating her entire body and tucking her leg beneath herself to face him. "Jessica's not gonna find out, I promise. Because right here, right now, we swear to never bring up that night again. Ok? Even to each other," she added with a convincing smile.

Hyde stared at her for a moment, trying to get a read on her thoughts, why was she being so cool about the whole thing? He figured Jackie would act like a maniac and talk about it so much that those chatterbox lips of hers would fall right off. "Yeah, ok."

Jackie smiled. "Ok." A few minutes of mildly awkward silence and Hyde got another one of Jackie's nervous smiles. "Steven? I really want us to be friends. We've never really been _actual_ friends before and I think we should try. What do you think?" she asked worriedly, her lip almost quivering in anticipation of his answer.

"I always thought we were friends, Jackie. And we are now, ok?"

"Oh, Steven!" Her shoulders held high in excitement, Jackie's face illuminated as she yanked her friend in for a fierce hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Why?"

"Cause you're not a jackass anymore!"

_A few minutes later… _

Carrying a beer in each hand, Kelso emerged from the kitchen with a glowing smile. "Alright! It's time to watch the _Terminator!"_ Immediately, Jackie looked over to find Hyde's face light up.

"Oh, man, that's what you got? Put it in!" he said, taking his beer and sitting at attention. Jackie giggled next to him as a glass of white wine was lowered over her head by Brooke's slim fingers.

"Oh yay, Brooke!" she said with a wiggle, centering herself on the cushion. "Just what we need to get through all these invitations!" As Kelso slipped the tape into the VCR, Brooke caught his attention, as well as Hyde's.

"Okay, this is how it's gonna work," she announced, "You two are gonna help us separate the registry cards and slip them in the envelopes and seal. Got it?" Giving Kelso a strange look, Hyde started to speak his displeasure. "Don't even try it Hyde. You're Michael's best man," Brooke reminded him. "And it's your job."

"_No._ See, _my_ job is to get him drunk and in trouble with a stripper before he gets married," Hyde clarified with a sly smile. But the scowl on Brooke's face told him that he wasn't as cute as he thought he was, not to her anyway. Hyde glanced over at Jackie and got the same disapproving frown. "Fine," he grumbled, "Gimme the stupid cards."

"Don't worry, man. If we get this done early, there's a huge party waiting for us next door! Three kegs and an open bar! Oh, yeah!" Hyde wanted to be excited but as he made eye contact with Jackie, a silent agreement was made.

"Nah, man. I think I'm gonna stay sober tonight," Hyde said, widening his eyes at Jackie and prompting her response.

"Yeah, me, too," Jackie seconded with a small smile, made just for him. Their stare lasted a little longer than necessary, but she could swear his eyes were bluer. Plus, it was so nice to see him smile. It was his sweet one, the one that told you the secret behind it was only for you—that _you_ were special. The two turned ahead quickly and Jackie smiled again at Brooke, who had her eyebrows raised in intrigue. "What?"

"Nothing," Brooke answered with a wry smile before turning her attention to Kelso. "Hey Michael? Can you pull out this out," she asked, pointing to the large square coffee table. Kelso did and the girls claimed a boy and made him her 'invitation buddy.' With a smile, Jackie sat Hyde down beside her and gave him four stacks of business-card sized registry cards. He was quiet, listening intently, as she explained his job to him.

"Ok, Steven. I need you to take one from each stack, and put them together like this…" Hyde watched as her delicate and perfectly manicured hands piled together four-card stacks in front of him. Her body was so close, shoulder touching shoulder, that he felt strangely comforted as she continued. "…then seal it and put it in this basket. Okay?" Hyde nodded.

"Yup."

"Oh, man. Conan the Barbarian is naked!" Kelso pointed out as they all watched Arnold Schwarzenegger's nude form stand upright, "This is awesome! You just can't go wrong with a movie that has a naked person in the first scene!"

* * *

_One hour and 15 minutes later… _

By the time he finished his fifth can of Budweiser, Hyde was feeling good, too good, as he gave a light smack to Jackie's jean-clad thigh underneath the coffee table, accompanied by his best attempt at pouting. "How many we got left?"

"Um," Jackie started, mentally counting the remaining names on her list, "about twenty-five." Then she gasped quietly and finally looked at him; the feeling of his hand as it came to a rest high on her inner thigh had startled her, but going by his next statement, he was simply trying to comfort himself and gain a little sympathy from the one he knew would give it freely.

"I don't wanna drink anymore, Jackie."

"Shhhh!!" Kelso interrupted spastically. "Linda Hamilton just took off her top! Rule number one in my house: No talking during sex scenes! Especially one where cyborgs are involved! Damn it, Hyde!_"_

"He's not a cyborg, you idiot! Reese is a regular person," Hyde whispered angrily before sneering at Kelso and laying his head back against the couch, his hand still tucked between the warmth of her thighs. "I don't wanna drink anymore," he repeated quieter to Jackie, "I'm just gonna end up drunk again…" He shifted his eyes to plead with her, hoping she would notice and understand, "but these envelopes are making my tongue dry," he groused with a soured expression.

"You want me to get you some water instead?" Jackie asked as she continued to write. He shook his head.

"No. Water's not gonna get rid of that rancid taste."

"How about some soda then?" she offered, never looking up.

"_No_. They only have orange soda," he complained. Annoyed, Jackie rolled her eyes and dropped the calligraphy pen loudly. What the hell was up with him tonight? She had never seen him act like such big, whiny baby. He seemed almost… depressed.

"Steven, sit up," she demanded.

"Shhh!"

"Shut up, Michael and just stack your cards!"

"I already did!" A brief star-down contest forced a surrender out of Kelso, allowing Jackie to return her attention to Hyde.

"Steven, what is the matter with you?"

"Nothing. I just don't wanna get drunk," he grumbled. It was true and he was afraid, but he couldn't tell her that. Her presence was sending little swells of desire through his body, making him want to satisfy them with her lips, her tongue, her skin. As a drunken fool on Halloween, he had gotten a taste and now, that drunken fool was threatening a return as Hyde found himself craving more. Straightening himself up, Hyde moved onto the couch, earning him a confused look from Jackie.

"Steven! Where are you going? You're not gonna finish helping me?"

"Shhhh!!" This time it was a scowl from Hyde and the sharp corner of a hurled registry card to the forehead that shut Kelso up.

"Aghhh!"

"I need a freakin' break, Jackie," Hyde snapped as he slouched back on the couch.

"Fine," she huffed, shoving his knee away from her with her pointy elbow. "Jerk. I didn't want your help anyway!"

"Shhhh!"

With a groan, Hyde leaned down in Jackie's ear. "Hey. Cut it out. Come here," he said, sliding his arms underneath her armpits, lifting her off of the floor and plopping her body down beside him. "Watch the damn movie, huh, take a break." The look on her face and her newly folded arms were beginning to set off his own stubborn defense systems. They glowered at each other for a moment, blinking, breathing in the tension that consumed their current relationship. "You know, it's amazing that Colin hasn't strangled you yet," Hyde decided to inform her.

Jackie scoffed. "_You_ didn't."

"I had weed, baby," he haughtily reminded her, "He's gotta deal with you sober." Jackie's expression radiated hurt and Hyde sighed regretfully. "Jackie, look. I'll help you in a minute, ok. Can we just… relax for a minute? My tongue needs a break."

Squeezing Brooke's thigh, Kelso laughed. "I swear I just said that last night, didn't I, baby?" She laughed with him.

Ignoring them, Jackie and Hyde continued their conversation. "Fine," Jackie whispered dismissively to Hyde, her pompous attitude steering her body into flippant movements as she lifted her bare feet onto his lap and lay down on her side to watch the movie. Once settled, she lifted her head. "I'm thirsty, Steven, and I would LOVE some orange soda."

Hyde nodded slowly. "Yeah, well the fridge is right back there," he pointed with a smirk. "Oh, and while you're there, I could use some chocolate milk." Her response was to simply raise her eyebrows and pout her bottom lip.

"But I'm _really_ thirsty," she sulked softly. A straight-faced attempt failed on Hyde's end. His lips parted; ready to deny to her but he turned away instead and sighed.

"Damn it." Hyde moved her legs and stood up, decisively pointing down at her. "But you're licking the rest of those envelopes yourself! I'm done!" he told her before heading for the kitchen.

"No, you're not," Jackie sang to herself.

* * *

_53 minutes later – 8:01 pm_

With giddy anticipation, Jackie watched as Hyde licked and sealed their last envelope with a proud smile. "Last one," he announced, slapping the completed invitation in the appropriate basket and smirking at his teammate. "Now let's get baked and go to a party."

Jackie squealed and threw her arms around his neck, swaying his body from side to side in triumph. "We beat them, Steven! We won!"

"That's not fair, man! We had to deal with the 'pee-pee' incident!" Kelso complained, his mouth agape as he scowled at Brooke. "You just _had_ to make me bathe him!"

Before Brooke could react, Hyde jumped in. "No way, Kelso. We kicked your ass fair and square."

Nodding, Jackie got up from the floor to gloat, unashamed as she danced from side to side. "That's right! So deal with it, Michael! Steven and I are just natural-born winners! So, unh, in your face, pee-pee boy!"

Extremely proud of his spunky invitation buddy, Hyde stood up and hooked his arm, inviting hers inside. "Nice one, Jackie."

"Why, thank you, Steven," she said, slipping her arm through.

"You are welcome. Well, pee-pee pants," Hyde said, shifting his attention to Kelso with a smug smirk, "my speed-writing partner and I will be out back… smoking our victory joint."

"Well, wait," Brooke interrupted as she addressed Kelso, "Why don't you just take them downstairs?"

"OH!" Nearly taking a face dive into the carpet, Kelso scrambled to his feet. "My basement!" he exclaimed. "You gotta see what I did to it last month! Come on!"

Rolling her eyes, Jackie shook her head, piquing Hyde's curiosity as he followed the other three down to the lowest level of the house. "Ok, so living all the way up here, I miss Point Place, you know? And where was the coolest place in Point Place?"

Hyde attempted an answer. "Uh, Mount Hump?"

"No. Stupid," Kelso said fluttering his eyes up with disgust. He led Hyde down the stairs and outstretched his arms as the layout of his basement revealed itself to surprised blue eyes. "Look! It's Eric's basement, man!"

Taking his time with the final step, Hyde looked around the colorful, yet familiar, room. Straight ahead sat a small television set and facing that: a beat up, orange couch with two chairs flanking it on both sides—a lawn chair and a beaten up 'Hyde' chair as Kelso liked to call it.

"Look! It's your chair man!" Kelso patted the duct tape tattered piece of furniture with an excited smile. "Come on! Sit in it!" Thinking that his friend had finally lost his grip on those last remaining brain cells, Hyde sighed and reluctantly moved forward with some assistance from Jackie.

"Come on, Steven, move," she insisted, her small hands on his back, inching him forward. Into view came a wagon-wheel coffee table, center-piecing the elaborate set-up. Hyde looked around in awe, his friends waiting with bated breath for his response, as he took in poster after poster, a replica helmet, a deep freeze, and a familiar looking stereo…

"Yeah, that's the actual stereo, man. Eric's mom let me have it. He doesn't know," Kelso snickered.

"So what do you think, Steven?" Jackie asked him.

"Well," Hyde began, his eyes turned to his lanky friend, "I take back everything I ever said about you Kelso. _This_ is the dumbest thing you've ever done," he said with a smirk.

Un-phased by Hyde's lack of enthusiasm, Kelso's face lit up. "Oh, wait!" he exclaimed, "I forgot one thing!"

* * *

_Ten minutes later… _

Red-eyed and grinning from ear to ear, Hyde nodded in appreciation of his surroundings. "Man, Kelso, I think this might be the smartest thing you've ever done," he declared as he passed a three foot tall bong to Kelso, who took a lengthy hit.

"I know! I'm even thinking about doing this as a side job. You know, for a few thousand dollars, I'll replicate your skinny friend's childhood basement! I mean, who wouldn't want that?" Kelso passed the large bong to Jackie, who giggled and took a moderate hit.

"Wow, I haven't hit it in soooo long." Her eyes widened as she gasped. "Oh! You know what else I haven't done in a long time?" Producing a Twinkie from the box at her feet, Jackie un-wrapped and shoved a yellow cream-filled cake in her mouth—whole. "Yum! Ha! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Jackie laughed hysterically as she passed the bong to a paranoid Brooke.

"Oh my god," Brooke nearly cried as she took a hit, "I am not ready for this wedding! I have no centerpieces, the DJ isn't booked, the seating arrangement isn't finished, I haven't written my vows, I don't have my shoes…" She turned to Jackie. "And you! We still don't have bride maid's gowns! Oh my God! And I can't find a store that has white tuxes available for our date!" In near panic, Brooke grabbed Jackie's box of Twinkies. "Gimme those!" Shoving one in her mouth, she passed the gigantic bong to Hyde, who looked confused.

Water bubbled as he sucked and finally released the smoke from the bong, letting it enter his lungs. "Wait. Did she say _white_ tuxes?"

Kelso nodded, a brilliant smile lighting him up. "Yeah, man. I decided that me and all my groomsmen are gonna wear white tuxedos with the sleeves rolled up! Man, we're gonna look just like Crocket and Tubbs from Miami Vice!" He shook his head happily as he passed to Jackie who was suffering from a laughing fit, the half-eaten Twinkie still in her mouth.

"Steven! You gotta wear a white tuxedo! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha…!" Falling off the lawn chair and onto the floor, Jackie never noticed Brooke Bogart the bong.

She took a small hit. "I keep telling him it's too much white! I mean we're pushing it with my dress as it is! Don't forget how we met!" Brooke spat at Hyde, shaking her head as she passed him the bong.

Hyde's face twisted in horror. "Wait. No. I can't wear white. It's not natural. I wear white and then what? Next thing you know I'm wearing sweatbands and tennis shorts! No way, man! I'm not doing it!" Hyde snagged the Twinkie box from Brooke. "Gimme that!"

* * *

_Next Door_

_Brian and Cathy's House – Front Porch _

_Thirty-six minutes later. 9:01 pm_

_"Cum on feel the noise" by Quiet Riot can be heard loudly through the door. _

_…Cum on feel the noize  
Girls rock your boys  
We'll get wild, wild, wild,  
Wild, wild, wild _

Bradley Kelso, burrito-wrapped in a Superman blanket, squirmed in Hyde's arms as everyone waited for someone to open the door and let them inside. "It's locked?" Hyde asked Kelso. "Cause the little guy's ready to bolt, man," he told him, referring to his antsy son.

"Oh," Kelso laughed, opening the front door with his free hand, his other holding his daughter. "No. It's open." He let Brooke inside first and walked in behind her, leaving Hyde to step aside for Jackie, getting her out of the typhoon-like weather outside. Last to walk in was Hyde. Looking around, he set Bradley down, unrolled him and watched him run off behind his sister toward the basement.

Well you think we are the lazy type?  
You should know better  
I don't know why  
I don't know why

"All the kids are down there," Jackie practically had to yell over the music, earning her an understanding nod. "It's a big ol' playroom!"

"So you know these people?" Hyde asked her as Kelso and Brooke disappeared together into the crowd. Jackie nodded and took off her coat.

"Come on, Hyde!" he heard Kelso yell, "The bar's over here!"

And you say I got a dirty mind  
I'm a mean go-getter  
And I don't know why  
And I don't know why… anymore

Easing him around and slipping off his coat, Jackie smiled. "Just stick by me," she said, hanging it up with her own and confiscating his hand. "Come on. We'll go find some non-orange soda." Without protest, Hyde allowed himself to be led through the dark and crowded living room. His first observation was that everyone was in costume; it was a belated Birthday/Halloween party from what he had heard, and his second observation: everybody was shit-faced drunk. As Hyde continued to walk, his attention returned to the girl who guided him through the crowd. Her body swayed to the music as she moved them toward the bar, her spare hand held playfully high in the air, rocking in rhythm with her incredible hips.

Cum on feel the noize  
Girls rock your boys  
We'll get wild, wild, wild,  
Wild, wild, wild

Watching her, smiling, laughing, saying hello as she danced to something other than disco, Hyde found himself jealous of Colin—jealous that he had this side of her. This girl, this woman, was playful and relaxed, and God, so sexy, as she closed her eyes and let herself go to the drumbeat. It was then that she peeked over her shoulder and smiled at him, sending him right back to his childhood. More exhilarated than he could remember feeling in years, Hyde smiled at his fleeting youth, and she was there, smiling back, pulling him right back in.

Cum on feel the noize  
Girls rock your boys  
We'll get wild, wild, wild,  
And wild

As the two ex-lovers approached the bar, they were greeted by Kelso, who held his hand out toward Hyde and spoke to a guy Hyde had never met before—he guessed 'Brian.' "This is my best buddy, Hyde!" Kelso exclaimed, throwing his arm over Hyde's shoulder, "The guy I was telling you about!" A hand reached out to shake his hand and Hyde returned accordingly.

"What's up. I'm Brian," he said as they shook.

"Hyde. What's up," Hyde replied, gesturing around himself, "Great party, man."

Cum on! Feel it  
Girls rock your boys  
We'll get wild, wild, wild,  
We're gonna get wild, wild, wild…

Brian smiled. "Yeah, thanks. Mi casa es su casa, man. Help yourself to whatever. Hey, you want a beer?" Hesitating, Hyde realized that he was in a pinch.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Thanks, man." As Hyde took his plastic cup full of beer, Jackie smacked his arm.

"Steven, I thought we weren't gonna drink tonight," she quietly reminded him. The idiot. Hadn't he learned his lesson from the other night? The two of them drunk and unsupervised only resulted in trouble—namely: sex. Widened blue eyes met hers as Hyde narrowed the gap between them and spoke in her ear.

"I can't ask for a soda after just meeting the guy. He'll think I'm a pussy."

"_So_. Why don't you just tell him…Tell him…" Her words involuntarily stifled, Hyde decided to interject.

"Tell him what? That I can't get drunk or else I might try to feel up my ex-girlfriend, again. Yeah, I don't think he needs that much information." Stepping back, Hyde regretted it the instant he said it, especially after seeing the shocked look on her face. They stood, stunned and staring at each other, until Jackie spoke.

"Fine," she mumbled, unable to believe that he had the nerve to actually verbalize what she had been thinking. "Just sip it slowly."

"I plan on it."

* * *

_One hour later… _

_Hyde is standing against a wall, talking to Kelso, while "Red, Red Wine" by UB40 wafts throughout the crowded house. _

_Red red wine Goes to my head Makes me forget that I Still need her so _

Taking a swig from his third cup of beer, Hyde let his friend's voice fade into the background the moment his bloodshot eyes wandered toward the brunette who danced in the middle of the crowd. A guy about his age, but built like Kelso, had hold of the girl's hips as the two swayed to the reggae beat and laughed at something only they could hear. Hyde's vision drifted downward to the spot where her tight fitting, peach-colored sweater revealed her midriff and watched as the guy's fingers 'accidentally' brushed over the taut flesh of her sides and around to the small of her back.

_Red red wine It's up to you All I can do I've done Memories won't go Memories won't go _

His gaze intense, Hyde couldn't help but notice the asshole's eyes sweep over Jackie's body, sending a surge of jealousy through his chest and into his throat. Her nimble little body still dancing, Jackie turned around and took notice of Hyde's gaze. He could see that she was unaware of anything but the fun she was having when she smiled brightly at him. "Hey," she seemed to mouth, causing a strange pang to replace his chest-full of jealousy. His body calming, Hyde returned her smile with a subtle grin. Let it go, he thought to himself, willfully giving his attention back to Kelso.

_I have sworn every time Thoughts of you would leave my head I was wrong, now I've found _

_Just one thing makes me forget _

"…so I figure since you're half-black, I mean, even though I kind of have my doubts about that, that _you_ would be Tubbs and_ I_ would be Sonny Crocket. So what do you think?"

Hyde cleared his throat. "Yeah, man, sounds good," he offered, his mind still pre-occupied with the raven-haired girl a few yards away. "Hey, who's that guy over there with Jackie?"

His eyes following Hyde's line of sight, Kelso turned around to see. "Oh, that's uh, uh, Kevin, Brian's cousin. Why?" Hyde shrugged, and Kelso might have let Hyde's interest in the matter slide if he hadn't still been glaring over at the two like a hungry hawk. "Man, are you jealous?" Kelso asked with a curious smile.

_Red red wine Stay close to me Don't let me be alone It's tearing apart My blue, blue heart _

Hyde's eyes finally broke from his ex. "What? No. Why would I be jealous?"

"Uh, maybe cause some random dude has his hands all over your little make-out buddy."

"She's not my make-out buddy! I could care less _who_ has their hands all over her. I've got a girlfriend, man."

_I have sworn, every time Thoughts of you would leave my head I was wrong, now I've found _

_Just one thing makes me forget... _

"Whatever. Come on; we need more beer," Kelso said, gesturing for Hyde to follow him back to the bar. "You can beat up the guy grabbing your girlfriend's ass later. Agh!" he yelped upon the intense pain of Hyde's fist plowing into his back, "I do_ not_ miss that!"

Pissed and now paranoid that some jerk-off was grabbing Jackie's ass, Hyde kept his eyes on her during his journey to the bar. No ass-grabbing as of yet, he concluded as he sat down on a stool next to Kelso. He wasn't sure exactly what the hell he would do if he saw it, but he knew it wouldn't be good. Taking a swig of his beer, Hyde turned to face forward, away from his ex-girlfriend; she was unintentionally driving him crazy. All of it was fucking crazy. His entire line of thinking was ludicrous, and he knew it. Jackie wasn't his, she was Colin's and it was _his_ problem if some jack-hole had his paws all over her. He briefly switched his thinking over to his own girlfriend, who he was slowly growing to resent; why the fuck did she have to leave? If she hadn't, it would have been her that he took to the canceled Packer's game, sparing him from this burning feeling in his chest and all the other stupidity he was enduring tonight.

"Hey handsome," Jackie's voice, raspy from breathlessness, called in his ear, pulling him away from his thoughts, "Whatcha doin'?"

"Drinking my beer," he said curtly, hoping she would catch on that he was angry, "Why?"

"I don't know," she answered with a shrug, oblivious to his tone as she finagled his beer, took a swig and sat down on the barstool beside him. "God, I was so thirsty!"

"Yeah, I bet." Hyde snagged his beer back. "Why don't you go drink Flashdance's beer over there," he snipped, motioning toward the crowd. "I'm sure he'd love to give you whatever you want."

"Steven!" Jackie laughed. "What's the matter with you?"

Hyde turned sideways to face her and scanned her body from head to toe. His hand followed the path his eyes had taken in a flailing motion. "So, Colin lets you… you know?" he accused.

"Let's me what?" Jackie looked confused.

His eyes and hands continued to indict along with his mouth. "Wear… _this_… type of…"

Re-evaluating her outfit, Jackie scanned her own body. "A sweater and jeans?"

"Yeah. Pretty racy for a party don't ya think?"

"Steven. What the hell are you talking about? You were once married to a _whore,_" Jackie playfully reminded him, "She didn't even know what clothes were."

"Yeah, well… what about this." Startling her, Hyde orbited her exposed bellybutton with his index finger, his accusatory eyes never leaving hers. But he wasn't prepared for the look she gave him in return. Jackie shook her head, hurt and offended, as she rose from her seat.

She scoffed "I can't believe you."

"No, wait," Hyde pleaded, hindering her escape with his arms. "I didn't mean it like that." With arms crossed over her chest, Jackie appeared extremely interested in what the fuck he DID mean. A terse elevation of her eyebrows, and a few irritated blinks, prompted him to start explaining himself before his shins became her personal kicking posts. "Oh, uh… I just," Hyde looked away, here, there, everywhere, before he finally returned his gaze to her. "It's just, you know," he signaled to her, "You're… really… you know!"

"No! I don't know! Spill it Steven or you're gonna end up limping home!"

Hyde huffed and shook his head. How the fuck did he get himself into this situation, he wondered, his leg bobbing uncontrollably. This, right here, was why he NEVER spoke. THIS WAS WHY HE NEVER SPOKE! "All I meant… was that you're… you're always gonna be the hottest chick in the room, ok? And you should just be careful. Guys like to get grabby, and I should know!" He snapped, pointing to himself. "I'm grabby!"

Jackie smiled knowingly at him. "You think I'm gorgeous?" Turning in his seat, Hyde grinned and shook his head out of indignation. He we go, he thought. "You were jealous, weren't you?" she hummed, settling back into her seat and chuckling silently to herself.

"No. I was just lookin' out."

"Oh. Hmm. Oh, by the way," she teased as she reached over and grabbed his beer, taking a quick swig, "That was Kevin. I work with him. He's gay."

Twisting his head slightly to meet her gaze, they both nodded derisively. "Of course he is." A sharp laugh from Jackie broke Hyde and he couldn't help but laugh. "Fuck."

* * *

_Forty-one minutes later… _

_Standing by the bar are Kelso and Brooke, who are both talking and laughing with the host Brian while Jackie and Hyde are nearby, talking to each other. _

_"I'm on fire" by Bruce Springsteen plays throughout the busy house. _

To his surprise, Hyde was enjoying himself. The people were being cool and the house was dark, putting no pressure on him to speak to anybody except his friends. Over the last forty minutes, he had passed most of his time with Jackie by the bar, breaking their rule as they shared a rum and coke, laughing at things dredged up from the past. Hyde stood between Jackie's knees as she sat on her bar stool and smacked his chest.

"Steven! We did not!" she laughed.

"Yes, we did," he swore to her for a second time, "I can't believe you don't remember." Hyde watched her furrow her eyebrows, trying to recall, and rolled his eyes. "Remember, right after we first, you know." He smiled…

_Hey little girl, is your daddy home?  
Did he go away and leave you all alone?  
Mm hmm. I got a bad desire  
Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire _

_"We really shouldn't be doing this, Steven," Jackie whimpered breathily to the ceiling of the El Camino, her arms pinned helplessly above her head. "I mean, maybe it was a mistake, what we did, we really… probably," she corrected upon the feeling of Hyde's lips as they kissed their way up her bare sternum, "probably shouldn't do it again, you know. When Michael gets back…" _

_"Shhh…" he hushed softly against her skin. _

_Tell me now, baby, is he good to you?  
And can he do to you the things that I do?  
Uh, huh, I can take you higher  
Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire _

_Jackie's head fell backwards when his warm, wet mouth finally closed down around her nipple, her eyes lazily settling on the drive-in speaker. Hyde's movements were slow as he worked over every inch of her exposed flesh, so unlike Kelso in the way he handled her body, so patient. His hand released their grasp on her hands and she used them to put pressure on the back of his head as he sucked and nipped at the aching peaks of her breasts. "Steven," she breathed out, already lost under his spell, "what if people see?" _

_"It's pouring, Jackie, no one can see, no one's even paying attention to us," he assured her as he settled over her nearly naked form. "And stop worrying about him. Ok?" Hyde quelled her doubts with a slow, deep kiss. _

_"Okay… _

Hyde grinned. "Remember now?" he asked her quietly. Jackie nodded, staring into his eyes as if the memory were playing in the vast shadows of his pupils.

_Sometimes it's like someone took a knife  
Baby, edgy and dull and cut a six-inch  
Valley through the middle of my soul _

"I remember," she assured him, finally looking away. She had forgotten how intense his eyes could be. _Shit._ Taking a deep breath and a nervous drink of their rum and coke, Jackie started to get up. "You know what, I think I'm just gonna grab the kids and just go back to Michael and Brooke's. It's was nice to see you today, Steven." Kissing his cheek, she was startled to see him get up as well.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna head out too. It's gonna take me forever to get home in that god damned monsoon out there." He smiled. "Come on; show me where my jacket is."

_At night I wake up with the sheets  
Soaking wet and a freight train running  
Through the middle of my head  
Only you can cool my desire _

_Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire… _

After a 'later, man' for Kelso, a kiss for Brooke and a quick thanks for Brian, Hyde followed Jackie to the basement and helped her wrangle up the rugrats. A few minutes later, at the front door, Hyde knelt down and spun Bradley around as he rustled with his complicated coat system. "What the hell, Jackie? This won't…"

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Here," she snapped, exchanging Bradley for an exhausted looking Betsy, "she's ready." Hyde smiled at his gorgeous God-daughter, who now stood before him.

"Hey Bets."

_"_Uncle Hyde, I don't wanna go home," she whined, rubbing her eyes and throwing her arms over his shoulders. "I'm not tired." He picked her up and caught Jackie's amorous smile.

"Well, your Aunt Jackie's being a huge meanie. See, I kept telling her 'No, Aunt Jackie, we should let Betsy, _and_ Bradley, stay up all night and eat lots of candy.' But she said no way," Hyde fibbed, "Sorry, dollface, I tried." Jackie smacked his arm.

"Don't listen to him, Betsy. He wears sunglasses indoors."

"You do?" Betsy asked him, lifting her head.

Hyde pointed at her. "No, I _used to_, but you know what?" Betsy shook her head as Hyde whispered in her ear. "She used to like it. Shh." Betsy giggled, thrilled at their new secret.

* * *

_  
Kelso and Brooke's house – twenty minutes later 11:18 pm_

Jackie and Hyde met back in the hallway after each putting a kid to bed—Hyde had tucked in his God-Daughter and Jackie her God-Son, leaving the two adults with total reign over the Kelso home. "I guess I'm gonna head out then," Hyde whispered to her, giving her a false smile.

"No. Steven, you're not leaving. It's too dangerous out there." The sound of wind whistling as it battered the house's windows seemed to back up her statement. Patting his chest, Jackie smiled giddily. "Come on, Steven. I'll make you something to eat. But we gotta hurry," she squealed as she scampered ahead of him. "Saturday Night Live is about to start!" Shaking his head, Hyde followed, his mind recalling all those nights spent cuddled on Forman's couch, drinking Kitty's cocoa and watching Saturday Night Live together. As he stepped into the kitchen to find Jackie digging in the fridge, it occurred to him that hadn't seen much of the show in the last year—Jessica couldn't stand it. "Okay," Jackie announced, holding up two white packages, " Turkey or Ham?"

Hyde's eyes danced between the two. "Uhhh, turkey."

For a reason he could not figure out, Jackie's face lit up and Hyde suddenly felt his chest go warm. "I think they have cocoa, too!" With that, he chuckled and leaned back against the counter, content to watch her toddle around until she seemed to wiggle at a sudden thought. "Wait here," she told him, quickly leaving the kitchen. When she returned, a few minutes later, she was holding two piles of clothes. "This one's for you," she said, handing him a pile, "and this one's for me."

"Why are you giving me these?" he asked her, looking at the flannel pants and blue t-shirt he was now holding.

"It's jamas. Michael's. Just put them on. You can't sleep in your jeans."

"I'm not gonna wear another dude's clothes, Jackie. It's a personal choice every man makes for himself."

"Steven. He never wears them. I bought them as a Christmas gift but Brooke told me that he opened them and never wore them." She grimaced out of disgust. "He sleeps naked, now, I guess."

Hyde face contorted to match hers. "Yeah, I didn't need to know that."

"Sorry. But just put them on. And hurry, Saturday Night Live comes on in…" Jackie looked at the clock. "Oh my God, seven minutes! Hurry! Go!" she insisted, pushing him into the living room. "I won't look."

"I don't care if you look," Hyde confessed with a sleazy grin. "In fact, you know, I could use a little help with my…"

"Go!"

* * *

_Living Room – 11:33_

_"Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" _

Setting down the remote, Hyde watched as a flannel-pajama-clad Jackie scurried into the room, carrying a plate of sandwiches and a cup of cocoa. Hyde started to move. "No, don't get up!" She set the plate down and handed him the mug, filled to the brim with mini-marshmallows.

"Thank you," he said as she ran off again, quickly returning with a second cup of cocoa, placing it on the coffee table next to Hyde's. "Oh, we missed the first sketch," she whined, still in motion as she opened up the hope chest behind the couch.

"Jackie, will you sit down?" Hyde griped, "You're making me dizzy."

Her head popped up from behind the couch, her puppy dog eyes pouting at him. "But I was getting you a blanket and a pillow." Feeling like an asshole, Hyde stood up to help her, choosing his blanket and pillow quickly.

"Thank you. Now, will you please relax?"

"Yes," she said with a smile, taking a place next to him on the couch and settling them both in. The show's guest host droned on as Hyde sat quietly, strangely awed as Jackie placed a blanket over him and handed him his cocoa. He found himself almost frozen, mentally uncomfortable with how physically at ease he felt next to her. The damn pajamas felt like heaven, the cocoa was the perfect temperature, the couch was plush, and the girl was 'home' personified. What the _fuck_ was he doing? How did he end up back underneath a blanket with her, only three days after their night together? It was too soon; he still remembered.

After a series of stealthy glances in her direction, a thought crossed his mind: So_ this_ is what it would have been like with her. "Huh," involuntarily slipped from his lips. This was pretty damn nice.

"What'd you say?"

"What? Oh, uh, I said," Hyde pointed casually at the t.v. "It's Lenny from Laverne and Shirley."

"Yeah, he's funny," she said, placing her head on his shoulder. "Steven?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad we can be friends," she solemnly let out. "I never thought we would be again." He heard her sniffle. "It's just nice, you know. I missed you," she confessed, snuggling platonically against him. "A lot." Hyde nodded, unsure of what to say, simply kissing the top of her head as they both settled in to watch 'Ronald Reagan' entertain them…

_"My fellow Americans... as you know, a Constitutional amendment to allow prayer in public schools has long been one of my most cherished goals. And most folks think it's a pretty good idea. But, our efforts have been almost blindsided by a small group of self-appointed people. People who say that, even the simplest little prayer would make their kids feel... left out. Well, of course, the facts prove otherwise. Earlier this week, Nancy visited a classroom in Morristown_ _New Jersey. And, out of 36 fourth-graders, 34 said that they'd like a morning prayer break. And no one singled out...the remaining children: Emily Handelman, 28 Cedar Boulevard; and Gupta Ramish, 1151 North Main Street, Apt. 3A… _

At that instant, Jackie's heart overflowed with joy; she could feel Hyde's body vibrate underneath her cheek as he silently laughed at the stupid joke, and she smiled. He was perfect when he laughed—her friend.

* * *

_One hour later…_

Still on the couch, the lights turned out, Hyde could barely keep his eyes open. It was the position he was in: on his back, with Jackie sleeping beside him. Her head rested contentedly on his shoulder and the gentle breathes she took were lulling him to sleep. His bloodstream was fairly clear of alcohol at this point, leaving him sober and tired, and really, really comfortable. God, she was comfortable. Stretching his arm to reach the remote, Hyde managed to turn off the t.v, stirring Jackie in the process. She moaned in his ear when he tried to get up. "Where you going?"

"Right there," he said pointing, unaware that her eyes were still closed, "on the other side of the couch."

"No." Her arm plopped protectively over his chest and pulled him closer. "Stay," she whined. "Please." Raising her head slightly, Jackie placed her mouth against Hyde's. He couldn't help but close his eyes upon the feeling of her soft lips extending gently to meet his. It was a simple, but slow peck, and then another. Then on the third… she sighed, making his body ignite as she purred against his eager mouth. "Colin." Hyde squeezed his eyes shut and pulled away. She was asleep and kissing her boyfriend, not him. "Love you, baby," she added, giving Hyde a tender squeeze. "I love you _so_ much."

Her body stilled once again and her breathing returned to its gentle rhythm. "Night, Jackie." Hyde kissed her forehead and slipped off the couch, covering her sleeping form with the blanket. "Sweet dreams, doll." Grabbing his things, Hyde decided to leave and take his chances out in the storm; at least out there, he wouldn't feel so out of control…

To Be Continued.

* * *

**A/N2:** Ok, so I promised I wouldn't beg so… I would really, really, really appreciate your input, your reviews, and your thoughts… Thank you. ) 


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: A Day in the Life of Steven Hyde**

**A/N:** Thanks so much for the reviews guys. Sorry it took me so long to update; I have a huge presentation due. Man, I hope I don't lose too much support after this chapter, but it's all part of the story and it's necessary and I couldn't get around it. It's about 36 hours in the life of Hyde. The next chapter will cover Jackie and move on. Hey, it's a dirty business setting up this situation, really dirty, so dirty, in fact, that this chapter is **rated M for Mature (for lots of dirty language and some smut)**. So here goes…(God, I'm nervous, again…)…

Also, thanks to Gah-linda (and "Frisque" for his male POV) for her contribution to this beginning scene. Haha.

* * *

**Previously:**

Her body stilled once again and her breathing returned to its gentle rhythm. "Night, Jackie." Hyde kissed her forehead and slipped off the couch, covering her sleeping form with the blanket. "Sweet dreams, doll." Grabbing his things, Hyde decided to leave and take his chances out in the storm; at least out there, he wouldn't feel so out of control…

* * *

**November 4, 1984 – 2:57 a.m.**

**Point Place, WI – Hyde's Apartment**

Soaked to the bone and exhausted from driving though the pouring rain, Hyde stumbled into his dark apartment and threw his keys across the living room. The drive that should have taken thirty minutes had taken him nearly two hours. He didn't even bother turning on the lights as he headed straight for his bedroom; he had every corner of this place memorized. But it was different tonight, same as last night: lonely and cold. Something was missing…His girlfriend. She was usually here these days, spending the night and bringing warmth to his pathetic existence. The girl reminded him a lot of Jackie and, on several occasions, Hyde had suspected that it was what had originally attracted him to her, other than the fact that she was beautiful. She was the only one to ever really fill the emptiness that Jackie had left behind years before.

He accepted, even secretly liked, that Jessica mothered him to a degree, like Jackie had, and always made sure he knew how loved he was, always, without fail. She really did love him; he was convinced of that, loved him the same as Jackie once had. But now a nagging, painful surge of pressure was invading his chest, ever since the moment he heard those words fall from the brunette's lips again—words intended for someone else. They had been _his_ first, though, and she had meant them once, for him, meant every one of them with fierce conviction_. I love you, Steven. God, I love you so much._ Closing his eyes, Hyde let the bed catch his fall. Her words weren't his anymore. He had given them away without thinking. And now, they belonged to some other guy—a guy who probably deserved them more than he ever did.

After peeling off all of his wet clothing, Hyde sat in his boxers and wondered if a glass of water was worth the effort of walking into his kitchen. He decided no, and slipped underneath his cold covers, quickly curling into himself for warmth as he sifted through the night's events in his head. It was obvious to him that his thoughts were being rewired lately; ever since that night; Jackie was fucking him up royally. The girl wouldn't leave his head and it was only when Jessica had been home that he was given a little bit of relief.

God, he really wished she had stayed.

After lying there a while, Hyde lifted his arm over the covers to get a look at his watch but it wasn't there—Jackie still had it after his fight on the boat. "Damn it." Looking over, his alarm clock told him that it was 3:27 am. God, he was tired. But sleep, something that seemed inevitable only hours before, seemed nearly impossible now. Lying on that couch, nearly falling asleep with Jackie in his arms, felt so familiar, so good, and her lips… Jesus Christ, he had wanted her so bad. Even dressed in pink and white flannel pajamas, she was sexy, and he could hardly believe how beautiful she had become. And the moment she had kissed him and sighed against his mouth, her knee had risen up over his body and worked up and down, making him erect. It was all Hyde could think about as he reached into his boxers and began to stroke the throbbing ache that Jackie had so innocently provoked. Shutting his eyes to the sensation, he let himself imagine that it was Jackie he was inside. It was _her_ body wrapped around him so tightly, _her_ inner walls caressing him to orgasm.

Startled out of his lustful reverie, Hyde jumped slightly when the phone rang.

"Shit," he muttered as he released his grip on himself and quickly reached for the phone, knowing exactly who it was. "Hello?"

"_Oh, thank God, Steven,"_ Jessica breathed out in a sigh of relief, _"I'm so glad you're okay."_

"What's up babe?" he asked, slowly becoming aware that she had been crying. "Jess? What's wrong?"

"_I heard, a few hours ago, about that collapse at the stadium and they said that like 100 people were hurt and some were dead and I couldn't get a hold of you, and I don't have Kelso's phone number with me and the Formans weren't home and…"_

"Hey…Hey, baby, I'm fine. We didn't go." He heard her take in a deep, shuddering breath and smiled. God, it was good to be loved. "Jess, I'm fine…Jess?"

"_I'm here. I…I just…I miss you so much, baby."_

A surge of intense guilt hit Hyde and he wondered if he really deserved her love; only minutes before he had been satisfying himself to another girl. And only hours before he had been kissing her and wanting more. "Yeah…I miss you, too," he said softly, suddenly wishing Jessica was beside him. It would make things so much easier.

"_You do?" _she asked, hopefully.

"Yeah, I do and I wish you would just come back already," he grumbled, and when she didn't respond, he continued. "Jess, just tell your dad that…that you're sick and you wanna come home."

"_Baby, I can't. I told you. I have to do this."_

Hyde sighed loudly into the phone, annoyed that his girlfriend was being so aberrantly stubborn, but wanting to avoid a fight. "Fine... where are you right now?" he asked, changing the subject and wondering if she had stayed up so late just to talk to him.

"_In my hotel room."_

"Alone?"

"_No, I'm with my other boyfriend."_

Hyde chuckled into the phone. "So what are you doing?"

"_Laying in bed thinking about you," _she told him quietly, filling his thoughts with the gorgeous girl on the other end of the line in various states of undress, in _his_ bed.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, his voice taking on a jokingly leering quality. "And what are you wearing?" He waited for her to laugh, but instead was greeted with a small sigh that seemed to lodge in his groin.

"_Just my black panties and one of your wifebeaters." _The image planted in his head, his girlfriend's breasts visible through the nearly transparent material of one of his undershirts, banishing any lingering thoughts of Jackie and making his already erect dick even stiffer.

"God, Jess…" he whispered into the phone, letting his hand wander back into his boxers to stroke himself. "I miss you," he blurted out, wishing more than anything that she was there with him.

"_Steven," _she whispered, clearly touched at his sentiment and thinking remarkably similar thoughts of her own. _"You know I wish I was there with you, right? I want to…" _Her voice trailed off, leaving him with his own ideas about what she wanted to do, and emboldening him to continue speaking.

"Take off the shirt, baby," he whimpered, half order half request, as his hand kept moving over his manhood. There was a quiet rustle of fabric before she giggled softly and spoke again.

"_It's off, baby. What do you want me to do?" _

He moaned slightly before he answered. "Touch your breasts, baby, pinch your nipples…" Her breathy moan cut through his voice as she complied. "Fuck. You have such gorgeous tits, Jess." His eyes fell shut as he imagined her touching herself.

"_Are you touching yourself, baby?" _Jess asked quietly, her voice sexy and mellow in his ear.

"God… Yes…"

"_I love touching your cock, Steven,"_ she practically moaned to him, obviously moving her hand from her breasts to slide beneath her panties. _"It's so hard and thick, and it always feels so fucking good inside me," _she confessed, her voice growing breathy as she spoke.

"Fuck, Jessica," he groaned her name into the phone, feeling his cock jump as he imagined sliding into her wet heat.

"_And I miss the way you feel in my mouth, baby,"_ she told him, pausing when her words earned her a loud moan. _"God, Steven, and I love it when you use your mouth on my pussy."_ Her voice got higher and breathier as she spoke, and Hyde knew that she was about to make herself come.

"Jess," he whispered into the mouthpiece, his throat going dry as his wrist pumped over his engorged shaft faster and harder. He could almost taste her as his hips began to thrust upwards into his fist.

"_Oh God, baby," _she whimpered, and Hyde closed his eyes, pulling up a clear mental picture of how she had looked beneath him the last time they had been together. It was her breathy scream as she came that pushed him over the edge, making him erupt all over his stomach. They were both quiet for several minutes, lying motionless and listening as each other's breathing returned to normal. Finally relaxed, after hours of stress, Hyde stared at his ceiling and cursed himself for betraying the girl on the other end of the line. He listened to each soft puff of air that entered his ear and silently apologized to her.

"Hey. Jess, hold on, okay?"

"_Okay."_ Hyde briefly set the phone down and left his bed to clean up and when he returned to the phone, he heard her giggle softly. _"You feel better, honey?"_

Still guilt-ridden, he settled back under his covers and sighed. "Yeah… You?"

"_Uh huh…So are ya gonna tell me what's wrong now?"_

A burst of air left Hyde's lungs in amusement; how the hell could she tell? "No. But…I'm think good now. I think I can sleep," he mumbled, closing his eyes.

"_Okay… Then I guess I'll just call you tomorrow."_

"Okay."

"_I love you."_ Fuck, he thought…Shit! This is where he would just kiss her instead of answering, returning whatever sentiment he felt without having to commit to the actual words. But on the god damn phone, what the hell could he say that wouldn't hurt her feelings? _"I know how you feel, Steven," _she said, interrupting his thoughts._ "And I wish there was a word for it. Cause then you could tell me everyday."_

The understanding and playful tone of her voice made him feel like a complete dick. He didn't deserve her. "I would, Jess. I swear to God, I would."

"_I know, baby… Goodnight."_

"Night," Hyde muttered, aware of her disappointment as he hung up the phone and rolled onto his stomach, facing his water-glistened window. He wasn't usually one to stare at rain, but it was moving and changing and distracting his mind from the two women who had him twisted up inside. But it was the soft hiss of water hitting the pavement outside that soothed his senses as he closed his tired eyes, finally finding sleep…

* * *

…_In what seemed like suspended motion, Hyde took hold of the two large, brass handles and pulled both doors open, triggering a stern-faced crowd of two hundred to turn expectantly towards him. The thundering reverberation of spectators rotating in their pews startled him into frozen terror, and left only his eyes mobile as they scanned over the unfamiliar faces that stared back at him. A small, delicate hand, colored light pink at its finger tips, reached across his cheek and pulled his head right until his gaze settled on a girl. _

"_Jackie." _

_Jackie lowered her hand and relief washed over him when she smiled. "It's time, Steven," she said softly, easing his nerves instantly as he admired her attire. A few soft curls framed her face while the remainder of her hair was pulled up, disappearing beneath a flowing white veil. Her body was draped in white silk that took on the shape of her body, beginning just above her breasts and gently falling over every curve until it reached the Berber floor. _

"_God, you're so beautiful," he whispered, forgetting about the crowded room that watched them._

"_You ready?" she asked, hooking her arm through his. Hyde thought about it for a moment. Was he ready? Warily, he nodded and watched her beam, calling up a million memories in his mind. "God, Steven. I've been waiting so long for this day…"_

* * *

**Sunday November 4, 1984 – 10:16 am**

Hyde woke up to the annoying ring of his telephone and growled loudly, grumbling profanities at his unknown caller. "Hello!"

"_Hyde… I mean… Crap. Steven?"_

"Jackie?"

"_Steven! Oh my God, I cannot believe you," _she shouted, stinging his eardrum and making him cringe as she continued,_ "That storm was terrible last night, and you just left without letting anyone know!"_

"I didn't wanna wake you."

Jackie sighed loudly. _"Well… I guess you made it home okay... Moron! You could have been killed!"_

"Yeah, well, I wasn't," he said dismissively. "So how'd you get my number, anyway?"

"_From Michael."_

"You're still there?"

"_Yeah. Brooke and Donna and I have to shop today. We still need to find our dresses."_

"Hm. Yeah, you…" Hyde trailed off, suddenly detecting the disgusting, yet enticing, sounds of chewing in his ear. Man, he was starving. "What in the hell are you eating?"

"_Pancakes,"_ Jackie bragged noisily into his ear, making his mouth fall open with envy with every one of her taunting moans. _"Mmm, they're good, too. It's too bad you aren't here to enjoy them—Mmm-mmm-mmm—cause Brooke makes the BEST blueberry pancakes!"_

"Blueberry?"

"_Yeah, they're freakin' awesome, Hyde! Too bad you missed them!" _Kelso screeched loudly into the phone.

"Hey. Tell him to shut up for me."

Jackie laughed._ "Well they are good, Steven. And if you had told me you were leaving, I could have talked you out of it and told you about Brooke's awesome Sunday morning pancakes. But… you didn't. Well I gotta go eat my breakfast now! Bye!"_

"No. Wait."

"_What?"_

"I…" Without warning, Hyde's nerves choked him into silence. "…Nevermind."

"_I had fun last night, too, Steven… I'll see ya!"_

Hyde grinned at her assumption. "Yeah, I'll see ya, Jackie," he said as she hung up the phone, shaking his head in disbelief. It wasn't what he was going to say, but whatever, he thought. It was close.

Hanging up the phone, Hyde looked around at his darkened room, concluding that it was still storming outside, and debated whether or not to go back to sleep. The thought of having another dream about Jackie didn't appeal to him, though, so he got up.

His apartment was cold, but quiet, as he shuffled through it on his way to the kitchen in search of something warm to eat. "God damn Pancakes," he muttered, kicking himself for leaving Kelso's house the night before. He knew there was no food at his place. And as he opened and closed cabinet doors, it became obvious that he was going to starve to death with his girlfriend away. He was the cooker but she was the shopper; it had been that way since the day they met. It began with her going along with him in her desire to be with him, until one day she just brought his groceries to him, explaining that shopping with him was like shopping with a crabby two-year old. So now, as he stared at his empty fridge, Hyde realized that he would have to go to the fucking grocery store on his own.

* * *

Seven hours later. 6:03 pm

Sitting on his living room couch, still in his robe and watching the video for "Jump" by Van Halen, Hyde grimaced and took a bite of his cold pizza, wondering when in the hell David Lee Roth had become such a lovely woman. Pulling him from his thoughts was the brief buzz of his doorbell and when Hyde opened his front door, he saw Eric's smiling, yet soaking wet, face.

"Hey, man."

"Hey," Hyde replied, returning to his slothful position on the couch. "Where's Donna?"

"Still out shopping with Jackie and Brooke." Eric stepped inside and instantly thieved a piece of Hyde's pizza. "What are you doing, man?"

"What does it look like I'm doing… Nothing." He smiled. "Absolutely nothing. It's incredible, man."

"Really? Incredible?" Eric asked, eyeing the unkempt Hyde and his messy apartment suspiciously. "Nasty pizza, no sex and this _disaster_ of an apartment?"

Without taking his eyes of the tube, Hyde lifted his left hand which held a can of beer. "I have beer and I have cable," he said, lifting the remote. "I'm good for weeks, man."

"Oh… Yeah, ok." Eric said, jutting out his bottom lip and shrugging his shoulders, accepting beer and cable as adequate substitutes as he took his seat. "Hey…" He smirked wickedly and pointed at the television while he grabbed one of Hyde's beers. "Has the one with the blonde rolling around and singing about how she's not a virgin come on yet?"

Hyde shook his head. "No, man. But that's the one I'm waiting for. She's pretty hot." Making a face at himself, he turned to Eric. "Man, come on, Forman. We're going out. I need to get the hell out of here. I've been sittin' here way too long, man."

"Ohh. But it's so cold outside," Eric whined.

Lacking any sympathy, Hyde rolled his eyes and got up, heading for his room to get dressed. "You're goin', Forman!"

"But…" Suddenly, 'Like a Virgin' appeared on Hyde's television screen and Eric settled into his seat with a lascivious smile, forgetting all about his objections to going back outside. "Ooh, well hello there, pretty blonde lady…Yeah, that's right, baby. Roll around. You've been a naughty girl."

* * *

_Kappy's Bar – Point Place, Wisconsin 9:26 pm _

_Hyde and Eric are playing pool in the near empty bar and pounding down their sixth round of beers. _

_Roadhouse Blues by the Doors blares from a nearby jukebox._

…_Ashen lady, Ashen lady  
Give up your vows  
Give up your vows_

"Wait…Hyde. How could you sleep with her, man? And where the hell was I?" Eric asked, still shocked and dismayed at what his drunken friend was confessing to.

"Man, I was just drunk and she was hot and… really, really drunk, too. And you saw her in that skirt, man."

"Yeah," Eric said thoughtfully. "I wish Donna would wear skirts like that. I'd never leave the house." Then he gasped at a sudden thought, his puffy, red eyes growing wide at Hyde. "Oh, and Jackie had those…those little boots on…"

_Save our city  
Save our city  
Right now_

"Yeah! Yeah!" Hyde shouted, nodding profusely. "I didn't even stand a chance, man. Do you get it now??"

Grimacing, Eric shook his head. "No…man. I thought you liked your girlfriend."

"I do. I like her a lot. It…it was an accident."

"Well, you better pray Donna doesn't find out. Cause she'll tell Jessica so fast."

_Well, I woke this morning  
I got myself a beer  
Well, I woke up this morning  
I got myself a beer_

"Yeah, and if Donna does tell Jessica then I'll know it was _you_ who told her and then…you're gonna finally find out what it's like to have a foot in your ass," Hyde warned his oldest friend menacingly before shaking his head, pissed at his own big mouth. "Fuck, I knew I shouldn't have told you."

"Man, I'm not gonna say anything. I like…I like my ass," Eric confessed, grabbing the pool stick from Hyde and making his shot into the corner pocket. The skinny boy smiled proudly at himself. "Alright...So uh, you and Jackie…" he began as he straightened himself up.

_The future's uncertain  
The end is always near_

"There is no 'me and Jackie'," Hyde corrected, walking away to sit down. He took another drink of his beer and thought about Jackie's little amorous display toward Colin while she had kissed him on Kelso's couch. "And I don't wanna talk about this anymore. I'd much rather try to figure out how the hell we're gonna talk that idiot Kelso out of this Miami Vice crap."

_Let it roll, baby, roll  
Let it roll, baby, roll_

Eric shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I kinda like it."

"You fucking would," Hyde scoffed.

_Let it roll, baby, roll  
Let it roll, all night long…_

* * *

_Hyde's Apartment – 11: 59 pm_

Drunk and staggering into his apartment, Hyde made a beeline for his bedroom, ready to crawl under the covers and pass out. First though, he decided to call his girl. He hadn't heard from her all day.

"Yeah, hey, room uh, uh, 1016 please." Waiting as the phone rang and rang, Hyde nearly fell asleep but opened his eyes and grimaced when an unfamiliar female voice answered the phone. "Who's this?" Hyde asked.

"_Steven? This is Kate, you idiot." _

"Oh," Hyde said, rolling his eyes at Jessica's older sister, whose hate for him was practically a second religion. "Where is she?"

"_Are you drunk?"_

"No," Hyde answered flippantly. "Just get Jessica on the phone…Please."

"_Well she's not here. She's downstairs in the bar, having a great time…without you."_

Hyde sighed, confident that it was a lie. "Whatever."

"_Bye," _she sang, hanging up on him.

Wishing he had never made the call, Hyde slammed down the phone. He hated that bitch and he knew her reasons for hating him. Apparently, he wasn't good enough for her sister, and after a year of being together, thought Jessica deserved a better commitment than what he was offering. "Bitch," Hyde muttered as he snuggled into his bed and closed his eyes, suddenly fretting over his drunken divulgence to Eric regarding him and Jackie on Halloween night. As much as he trusted his best friend, he just knew, as he fell into sleep, that it would prove, in time, to bite him in the ass…

* * *

…_A quick wink at Hyde and Jackie swung her dress around to face her destination. Hyde turned forward with her and when the sudden sound of music echoed through the church, he took his first step, leading her down the isle. Halfway there, his own attire occurred to him: a traditional black tux; he hadn't noticed it before._

"_You look so handsome, Steven," he heard her whisper in his ear. Bringing her before the priest, Hyde stopped, his arm still linked with hers, and waited for the man to speak._

"_Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" Looking over, Hyde noticed Colin for the first time, standing in the groom's position and reaching out to take hold of Jackie's free hand. Confused, Hyde turned to Jackie, tightening his grip on her arm, reluctant to just hand her over._

"_Jackie, what the hell?" His eyes pleaded with her but she only smiled sadly and tried to pull away. "Jackie, please."_

"_No, Steven, I need you to answer him. Please. You have to let me go, baby."_

_Hyde shook his head furiously but in front of him, the priest seemed to stare straight in his soul, his voice booming with anger as he repeated the question. "I said WHO GAVE THIS WOMAN TO THIS MAN?!"_

_Hyde looked around at the now empty church. "Well…I guess I did," he answered shamefully, lowering his head. Upon those words, he felt her slip away from him and raised his eyes to watch her stand before Colin, her face beaming with what Hyde could only imagine was love. As his vision faded, Jackie looked over her shoulder at him and twisted his heart into a knot with five words: _

"_You had your chance, Hyde."_

* * *

Monday November 5, 1984 – 4:37 am

Startled awake by the sound of his phone ringing, Hyde's eyes snapped open and he sat up, quickly looking over at his clock. It was 4:37 am. "What the hell?" he grumbled, pissed and about ready to go the fuck off as he picked up his phone. "God damn it, Jessica. Go to sleep."

"_Is this the Hyde residence?"_

"Oh. Uh, yeah. Why? Who the hell's this?"

"This is Sergeant Gavin from the Point Place police department. Are you the owner of…Groove's record store?"

"Yeah," Hyde answered warily, swinging his feet around to the floor and standing up. He began to pace. "What, did I get robbed or something?"

"_No. Actually there's been an accident. The roof of the complex your store is in collapsed about an hour ago and we pulled out a victim from your store."_

"Shit! I'll be right there!" After hanging up, Hyde quickly dressed and wasted no time making his way down to the record store. He drove as fast as he could and regretted not asking whether or not the victim was okay. "Fuck!" He thought back to the argument he had had with the owners of the shopping center. They had known about the rotted out roof and had been warned on several occasions of the possibility of serious damage during a heavy snowstorm or too much rain. Hyde and several of the other owners had bitched, even threatened to withhold their rent, but were too afraid of losing the option to renew their leases to go through with it.

Pulling up to the scene, Hyde's car skid out of control and nearly crashed into a pole. Not only was he still drunk but the rain was getting ridiculous and it was nearing apocalyptic levels of stupidity. The entire day before, as he had lounged lazily in his apartment watching TV, emergency news reports had flashed continuously, warning of flood conditions. The entire state was in chaos, the governor had declared a state emergency and his fucking lights went out at one point, making him miss the entire thirteen minute video for Thriller. And now this; he was fucking pissed. Hyde got out of his car and jogged though the lake that had been a parking lot only days before, ignoring the rain as it stung his face. Scanning the scene, all he saw were red and blue flashing lights, cops and paramedics, but no Leo.

"Hey!" he called out to a passing cop. "They just called me. That's my store. They said they pulled a guy out."

"Yeah, right over there," the officer informed him. Hyde instantly took off, quickly catching sight of his friend as he was wheeled out from what looked like complete rubble.

"Leo! Hey, man! Are you okay?"

"Hyde!" a bloodied and listless Leo exclaimed weakly, smiling up at the worried man who he considered to be a son. "Oh, hey, don't be worried, man. I'm fine."

"You sure, cause…"

"Nah. I'll be fine as soon as I get over this terrible headache, man." Through his concern, Hyde chuckled sadly at the biggest understatement of the year. Leo had deep wounds all over his face and head and his clothes were splotched with blood. Hyde took off his coat and held it high over his friend to keep the stinging downpour off of his face; it was all he could think to do.

"Hey, is he gonna be okay?" Hyde yelled to a paramedic who was frantically clearing out the back of the ambulance.

"Well, we're gonna take him to the hospital and make sure he's not bleeding internally," he shouted back. "And I think he's got a concussion: his eyes are dilated, his speech is slurred and he's really confused! You know him?"

"Yeah," Hyde answered, holding back a grin and looking down at Leo. That was pretty much a general description of his older friend on a daily basis—dilated, slurred and confused. That was Leo in a nutshell.

"Hey Hyde, man," Leo asked quietly, reaching up to pull the younger man down. "I'm really sorry about your store, dude. I don't know what happened, man. I was just sleeping and I think some jerk hit me from behind…"

Hyde shook his head. "No. No, Leo. It's not your fault, man…Just…relax, okay. I'm gonna follow you to the hospital."

"Okay, Hyde, but watch your back, man. There are cops all over the place…I think something might be going on."

Grinning slightly, Hyde patted his friend on the shoulder. "Will do, Leo. Thanks, man."

"Oh, no problem. Anything for you, Hyde. You're like fam…" Leo cringed and grabbed his chest, startling Hyde.

"Hey…Leo…You alright, man?" Hyde asked, shaking him lightly. When Leo wouldn't answer or open his eyes, Hyde dropped his coat and rushed over to the paramedic, screaming at him over the loud thunderclap that followed a bright light in the sky. "Hey! Something's wrong! He won't wake up!"

The man jumped out and Hyde stood back in horror as several paramedics began to work on the old man, poking and prodding and pumping air into his burnt out body. Another climbed on top of him, straddling Leo's hips as he pumped two clasped fists down over his heart, repeatedly. Backing away slowly, Hyde cringed and lost control over his emotions when he heard Leo's ribs snap from the pressure. Hot tears burned his eyes; he'd never seen someone he loved dying before. This man was like a father to him, loving him and accepting him when not many would.

Hyde wiped away the saline that was collecting in his eyes and clouding his vision as he watched two EMTs lift the gurney into the ambulance and close the doors. The rig instantly left the scene with lights flashing and sirens blaring, taking with it one of the few people Hyde cared about. And as freezing rain streamed from every slope of his body, Hyde drew his hands to the top of his head and stared up at the sky, closing his eyes and accepting upon his skin the thing that had caused it all: the November rain.

* * *

Three hours later.

Kenosha Medical Center Emergency Room

Surrounded by the cold décor of the E.R. waiting room, Hyde shivered and sat up in his seat, pulling his still damp shirt away from his frozen skin and wondering where in the hell that last nurse had disappeared to. He had spent the last three hours gathering as much information as he could about Leo, bugging and hassling, even flirting with the nurses until they updated him completely on every procedure, every medication, and every bandage that was given to his friend. Hyde was kicking himself for not just saying that the hippie was his father; he could have been back there with him.

"Hyde," he heard a gentle voice call from behind.

"Yeah?" Hyde stood up and nervously waited for more news, feeling the same twinge of anxiety that attacked him at the start of every update. "Did you find out anything?" he asked the young nurse.

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, he's being admitted right now."

"But he's okay?"

"Well, he's stable and that shard of metal…they got it out. It hadn't punctured his kidney. So he's in the clear there. But, they're still monitoring his heart…cause after his initial heart attack, there's risk of more occurring."

"Okay," Hyde said, finding relief in her news. "Thanks."

"So…look, there's nothing else you can do here. They're admitting him and well, you might as well just come back later during visiting hours. They'll let you in then." The young nurse smiled coyly at him as he nodded and he was suddenly feeling a little guilty for leading her on in his quest for information.

"K, thanks," he said, grabbing his coat. "I really appreciate it." Hyde left quickly, avoiding her glances, and decided that he didn't want to go home, just yet. There was only one place to go: The Formans. Kitty was a nurse and would be able to dissect all the medical terminology that was swirling around in his brain. Plus, she would hug him and make him something hot to drink. He was freezing...

* * *

The Forman Residence. 8:21 am

Feeling beaten and abused, Hyde pulled into the Forman driveway and shut off his car, throwing his head back in exhaustion. The sounds of rain pounding on the roof of the El Camino were driving him crazy; the fucking rain wouldn't quit and he just wanted for one minute to feel dry and warm and not as if he had been hit by an eighteen wheeler full of ice water. Sighing loudly, Hyde got out of his car and didn't even bother running for the house.

"Oh, Steven! You're soaked!" Kitty exclaimed as she ran around the counter, wearing her white nurse's uniform under a thick winter coat. "Oh sweetie, there are fresh towels in the …Well, you know where they are…" she giggled as she looked at her watch.

"Mrs. Forman…"

"Oh, I'm gonna be late! There are eggs and bacon on the stove for you, Steven, and I will see you later kids!" she yelled back at her son and his girlfriend, kissing the air and waving as she opened her umbrella and scampered out into the storm.

Raising his eyebrows, Hyde turned to Eric and Donna, who were standing up from the kitchen table and arguing loudly with each other. "Hey," he called, finally getting their attention.

"Damn, Hyde. Ever heard of an umbrella?" Eric snickered as he slipped his dirty plate into a sink full of soapy water. "You're soaked, man."

"Really, Sherlock? I hadn't noticed," Hyde bit back as he took a seat at the kitchen table. "You'll never believe what…" Before he could even begin his tale, his two friends began to bicker again about time schedules and other trivial crap that meant nothing to him, not after what he'd seen that morning. "Hey, could you two quit it for one second? I have to tell you…"

"Can't, man. I'm gonna be late," Eric interrupted, grabbing another piece of toast from the table. "I have an exam in…" He looked at his watch. "Crap! Thirty-one minutes! Damn it, Donna!"

"_Me?_ Blame Hyde for keeping you out late at the freakin' bar," she argued, rolling her eyes and scoffing as she stopped in front of Hyde. "I swear to God, if he doesn't graduate soon, I'm gonna stab myself in the eye with a toothpick. Cause _that_ would be more pleasant…Later."

As Donna walked out of the house, Hyde realized that he was alone. He had really wanted to talk to Kitty, although the support of his friends would have also sufficed. But he had to accept that they all had lives, things going on and they couldn't have known what was happening. Hyde stood up and shut the slider door; it was so cold inside the house that his chest was convulsing and causing a dull pain in his chest. Turning around and looking at the telephone, he realized that only one person would stop everything to listen to him.

Hyde walked over and dialed the operator. "Yeah, can you connect me to the Four Seasons Hotel in Minneapolis...Yeah hi, room, um… damn it…uh, 1016, please." The phone began to ring and Hyde inhaled deeply with relief when Jessica answered the phone.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, babe…You'll never believe…"

"_Oh, God, Steven. I'm so sorry but I can't talk right now. I'm already late for that first meeting I was telling you about and that jerk Marco didn't do any of his work; he left it all for me to do! And then…OH! THEN... last night, after we left this bar that we all went to, he grabbed my ass and then followed me to my room!"_

"What?"

"_Yeah, and then he had the nerve to get pissed when I turned him down."_

"I want you to tell that motherfucker that I'm gonna kick his ass!"

"_I know! I am!" _he heard her yell out to someone else_. "Steven, baby, I gotta go. I love you," _she proclaimed, making loud kissing sounds into the phone._ "Bye!"_

"No. Wait. Jess… Fuck!" Hyde shouted after he heard the loud click of his girlfriend hanging up on him. "God damn it!" Slamming the phone back on the hook, Hyde grabbed his cold, wet coat and left.

* * *

Milwaukee, Wisconsin – Five hours later. 1:15 pm

Grooves corporate office parking lot

The rhythmic purr of his engine in idle was threatening to lull Hyde to sleep as he sat and stared listlessly at the ceiling of his car. After having spent nearly four hours filling out insurance claims and listening to the mindless chatter of his father's employees, he just wanted to take a break from the world. But most of all, he wanted to punch something…hard. It had been over eight hours since his morning wake up call and, so far, not a single person seemed concerned about Leo and no one that mattered knew. He acknowledged that if Jessica and the Formans had known, they would have dropped everything for him—they would have cared—but that thought didn't make him feel any less alone. And as irrational as it was, he found himself pissed off at his girlfriend for leaving him when he needed her most, for putting her new job before him. If she had been around, she could have kissed him and held him and smothered him, and even though he would have feigned annoyance, he would have sunk into her embrace and closed his eyes, easily accepting her warm comfort.

But instead, he was tired and cold and sitting alone in his god damned car. Beyond irritated, Hyde decided to just go home and wait for visiting hours to begin. He pulled out of the parking lot and drove about three blocks when a sign for the Channel 4 news station caught his eye. "TMJ Channel 4," Hyde muttered to himself as he made the hasty decision to veer into the parking lot. Throwing his car into park, Hyde sat back, closed his eyes and pondered over what to do. Most likely, his bossy little ex-girlfriend was inside, strutting around in a short skirt and starting shit. And he couldn't help but smirk at the thought. There was something about a girl with an evil streak in her, and Jackie had that something, always had. It was what separated her from the rest. But when it mattered, she had always pushed it aside…for him…

_Thinking back, Hyde could still recollect how tightly their hands had been clasped together on that last night. Jackie had led him into his small basement room, smiling roguishly, hinting that she had plans for him, plans that she had been formulating all afternoon; he could see it in her vibrant eyes. The girl was always doing that—organizing, plotting, surprising him. After closing the door behind them, she giggled coyly and pulled him deeper into the room, bewitching him with an intent stare as she dropped her body back onto his bed and patted the mattress between her spread legs. _

"_Sit, Steven," she demanded, and then, upon his strange look, tilted her head and elevated her eyebrows with insistence. "Baby!" Sighing loudly, he turned around and seated himself between her legs, gently leaning back against her chest, instinctively letting his head fall on her shoulder. _

"_What's up, Jackie," he asked quietly, startled when she pushed him forward and removed his t-shirt, leaving him smiling as she pulled him back against her body. "Oh. Well, I think I know what's up now," he teased, directing her hand around to the crotch of his pants._

"_Steven. Stop always assuming that I'm being dirty," she scolded, taking her hand back._

"_You're not?" He scowled until he heard a strange noise, making him crane his neck around to see. "Jackie, what the hell are you up to?" She was rubbing her hands together vigorously and only answered when her warm, lubricated hands smoothed over his shoulders. _

"_I'm trying to make you feel better, baby." He let out a rough groan at the feeling, a noise that seeped out from somewhere deep within his body because God, she was; she was making him feel so good. _

"_Oh, fuck," he said as she continued to massage his shoulders, making her laugh. "God, Jackie." A sudden chill and the thick scent of strawberries overcame him as her fingers spread themselves widely across the nape of his neck and back down both shoulders until they reached his arms. He had no idea that his muscles had been so sore. "Why are you doing this right now?" _

"_Why would you think I need a reason to make my little Puddin' Pop feel good?" she pouted as her hands worked down his sides, kneading at his ribcage and around to the front of his chest, making his eyes close. Then she sighed. "Because, okay. I know you've been really stressed out lately. That whore Angie keeps getting all the credit for everything you do. It's just not fair."_

"_Yeah but WB…he sent…he made her… go away and gave me the store," Hyde managed to grunt out. He couldn't seem to construct a logical sentence, not while her arms were wrapped around his body like that, her warm, slippery hands rubbing over every muscle in his chest and in his sides. The contact was arousing; every squeeze of his flesh was settling deep in his groin and making him swell, especially when she traveled down below his belt, and she did, a few times… he hoped on purpose. _

"_You've been so tense, lately. I noticed it even before we got back together… And I wanted to comfort you, Steven, but you were being such a jerk; I knew you would never let me." He didn't respond as she continued to massage him. She was probably right; out of pure stubbornness, he wouldn't have let her._

_His eyes, drowsy from pleasure, opened the instant he felt her lips and tongue on his back, kissing him gently. Thank God, he remembered thinking, because his dick had been stiff and throbbing to be inside her since she had begun. "C'mere," he whispered through heavy breath as he twisted his neck and sought out a kiss. Her lips tasted like strawberries, her tongue, too, he noticed as he lay flat on his back and pulled her body down over him, never breaking their kiss as he unbuttoned and removed her top… _

Hyde opened his eyes and tried to think. Memories always seemed to blend together in his mind and as he stared through the rain, he could not recall how either of them had gotten undressed or how she had ended up below him, stomach down. It was all so long ago and the gaps in his memory frustrated him. What he found, though, was the visual of his own oiled up hands running down the soft skin of her back…

"_Oh, Steven, I was supposed to make YOU feel better, baby," Jackie moaned, her eyes closed as she rested contentedly on her folded arms._

"_Oh, you are. Trust me," he assured her, kissing his way down her back and reveling in the strawberry flavor of her flesh. Fondling her body, greased up with oil, and hearing her resulting moans were making him crazy with lust as he reached around briefly to cup her breasts and pinch her nipples. _

"_Oh God, baby," she whimpered below him, lifting her hips off the bed to meet him. At his breaking point, his bare erection aching, Hyde slid off her panties, admiring every millimeter of smooth skin that was exposed to him, before finally tossing the material to the floor and feverishly kissing his way back up her nude body. His body lowered over hers, both slippery and smelling like strawberries, fitting together perfectly as he kissed the back of her neck and lined himself up to enter her. _

"_Oh God, Steven," Jackie whispered softly beneath him, reacting to every kiss. "You feel so good, baby." Sighing her satisfaction, she surprised him by rolling over with a dreamy smile on her face, putting a smirk on his. _

"_You look so high," he told her before covering her mouth with his own in an urgent kiss, quickly moving his lips down her neck, tasting as much of her as he could._

"_I feel high," she confessed in a breathy whimper that sounded so fucking sexy in his ear as he continued to work his mouth over her. _

"_And God, Jackie, you taste so good," he whispered while he bit at the skin below her ear and felt her wrap her arms tightly around his neck. "Like fucking strawberries." A moment later, Hyde pulled back and looked into his girlfriend's eyes; she was having thoughts… dirty ones. Fuck. He liked that look… a lot. And as if she could read his mind, Jackie smirked wickedly and bucked her hips up against his, making him growl against her lips and thrust his tongue insistently into her warm, strawberry flavored mouth… _

Five years away, Hyde was grinning to himself. It was funny to him… the things he remembered about that night. Maybe it was just the strawberry oil, or maybe it the fact that he made her wait, but Jackie was so turned on that she came fiercely only moments after being penetrated. That part… THAT part he remembered in vivid detail. Every moan and every curse that flew out of her mouth were crystal clear in his mind. And God, did she come for him, several times, biting so hard on his bottom lip that he tasted blood the moment he erupted inside of her. He thought about that night, on numerous occasions in the past five years, and concluded years before that it was a great fucking way to go out…

_Exhausted, Hyde collapsed beside Jackie and accepted a kiss from her, feeling content as she placed her head on his chest and sighed happily. "I love you, Steven."_

"_I love you, too," he whispered through panted breath._

"_What? You do?" she asked hopefully, wide eyed as she raised her head to look at him. "Oh my God, baby! You said…" Irritated that she was making such a big deal out of his confession, Hyde pushed her head back down and hushed her curtly. _

"_Shut it or I won't say it again."_

"_Okay," she accepted with a smile. "Okay." They lay together for another hour, kissing and playing the way lovers do. Neither could have known that this was the night that would sit with them for years; neither could have known how it all would end…_

Staring through the rain at Jackie's building, Hyde wondered if there was any truth to something she had told him years before. The day she said it and the place eluded him, but at some point in time the words "I'll always be there for you, Steven" left her lips and burrowed themselves deep within his subconscious. She still cared…didn't she? Hyde thought he had the answer and chances were that he would come to regret what he was about to do, but he didn't want to go home and sit alone for the next five hours either. And God help him, he was craving her comfort. So right there, in the middle of the worst rainstorm in a decade and a million doubts, Hyde dared himself to move...

* * *

Channel 4 News Station

His nervousness buried beneath grief, Hyde walked into the main lobby of the Channel 4 News station and asked the front receptionist for Jackie Burkhart. She gave him a strange look before asking him to have a seat and threw him a few more backwards glances as he complied and watched her walk away. He had been waiting for several minutes, contemplating just going home and calling his girlfriend to tell her to come home, when Jackie appeared.

"Steven?"

"Jackie," he replied as he stood up and soaked her in. It was strange to see someone clothed after two days of imagining them naked. She seemed overdressed in a fitted skirt that stopped just below those damn boots he loved so much, but there was thankfully no leg today. His eyes drifted straight to the skin that the top three buttons of her shirt revealed, though, sparking more lusty thoughts as she folded her arms.

"Steven, what are you doing here? And how do you know where I work?"

"Oh, um, Kelso told me."

"Okay? So…why are you here?"

"Oh, well…I was in the area."

"You were in the area," she repeated suspiciously. "And…"

"And…" he started, growing irritated at her impatience. "I was at the Grooves corporate office. It's right over…" As Hyde lifted his hand to point westward, Jackie smacked it down.

"Steven! I know where it is, dummy. I used to hang out there with you. Remember? Now, just tell me what the hell you're doing here cause if this gets back to Colin…" Halfway through Jackie's rant, anger turned to shock as she gasped and brought her hand to her mouth, her eyes quickly filling with tears. "Oh my God, you told her."

"What? No," he replied, taking a step toward her. "Jackie, I told you I wouldn't."

Now, she was confused. "Well, then," Jackie briefly paused and studied his features for some semblance of an explanation, frowning at what she thought she saw. "Steven, what's the matter? You look upset." Unaware of how transparent his expression was, Hyde simply shook his head as he searched for the way to begin to explain himself.

"I…" The look on his face was making her want to cry.

"Steven, you're scaring me," she let him know as her eyes pleaded with him to answer. "What's wrong?"

"Jackie, it's not…" Hyde noticed a few stares of passers by and stepped a little closer to his ex-girlfriend, lowering his voice. "Look. Can we just talk outside?" Immediately, Jackie nodded and asked Hyde to wait as she ran off to grab her coat. Within a few minutes, she was leading him to a small smoking alcove that sat on the side of the main building, quickly pulling him inside to be sheltered from the storm.

"Okay, Steven. You've got me outside," she said, closing her umbrella. "Now tell me what's going on."

"Look. It's got nothing to do with…you know, what happened with us. I just…no one will..." Hyde took a deep breath and started to wonder why he thought she would care. "I… Alright…Really early this morning I got a phone call from the cops telling me that the roof at my freakin' store had collapsed…"

"Oh my God," she uttered softly.

"And… Leo was inside," He could feel himself begin to lose his stoic facade, but he didn't care anymore. "It gave him a heart attack and there was all this… blood all over him, Jackie, and…" He watched Jackie's chin begin to quiver and her eyes fill with tears as he continued on almost angrily. "…and then he stopped breathing and they broke his fucking ribs and took him to the hospital but they won't let me in to see him and…."

"Is he gonna die?" she asked, her face contorting as she began to cry. All Hyde could do was shrug.

"I don't know," he mouthed, lowering his head. "But he thought it was his fault."

"Oh, Steven. C'mere," Jackie said as she slipped her arms up around his neck and gave him what he had been seeking all day—comfort. Feeling her warm arms close in around him, Hyde closed his eyes and buried his face into her hair, breathing in the sweet smell of her strawberry shampoo. And as he tightened his grip around her waist, bringing their bodies as close as humanly possible, he knew that he had made the right decision. This girl had never let him down, he thought, as she combed her fingers through his hair and whispered words of consolation in his ear, absentmindedly rocking him from side to side. "He's gonna be okay, Steven…I promise. I know how much you love him, baby…"

"Jackie?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you come with me…to the hospital?"

"Of course." Hyde shut his eyes again while Jackie stood on her tiptoes and held him, keeping him warm as they stood in their little cubby, safe from the rain…

To Be Continued.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, I know this chapter sorta sucked but I promise that things will get more interesting, really soon. SIGH, you guys, I almost quit. I accidentally found out details about season 8 and I was hating Hyde so bad that I lost my drive to write him. I'm writing through it, though, and yes, I've heard "Lips of an angel" and it is a little like my story. Ok, so I wrote this while also preparing my presentation and I get so nervous talking in front of crowds that I think your reviews would be really, really nice shows of support that might ease my nerves a little. So please leave one, letting me know what you think. It would make me really happy. No matter what you thought. 

- Happy Thanksgiving -


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 – A Day in the Life of Jackie Burkhart**

A companion piece to chapter 8

**A/N: **Thank you so much for the reviews and encouragement. :P People commented A LOT on my "that chapter sucked" ending and I just wanted to say that I have plenty of self-confidence; I just also know that I gave that last chapter a half-assed effort because of how busy I was. So I guess it was my way of apologizing. This chapter follows Jackie and explains **some** of her and Hyde's history post-break-up. It is the final of my set-up chapters. So it has a lot of flashbacks and a lot of music. Oh, and I have included some early 80's songs that are not so well-known, based off of what I remember my mommy listening to a lot. So if you want to know what it sounded like to be alive in the early 80's go to YouTube and check 'em out …

P.S. This chapter was very cathartic for me; I got out all of my Hyde anger. It came just in time.

* * *

**Previously: November 5, 1984 - 1:57 pm**

"Jackie?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you come with me… to the hospital?"

"Of course…"

* * *

**November 4, 1984 – 9:17 am**

**The home of Kelso and Brooke**

_Brooke is in the kitchen, cooking breakfast and cleaning up, Kelso is just getting out of a shower, Bradley is his highchair nibbling on cheerios and watching his mom, Jackie is still asleep on the couch, and little Miss Betsy Kelso is half-watching the Smurfs while she twirls and dances to the song playing on her mother's stereo: "Hearts" by Marty Balin._

_Is everything alright?  
I just called to say  
How lost I feel without you_

Opening up her blue eye, Jackie welcomed the morning to the sight of her God-daughter spinning around the living room, dancing and holding onto the Cabbage Patch doll that her tenacious God-mother had accosted several women over the Christmas before. The five-year old brunette didn't seem to notice that she was being watched and Jackie couldn't bring herself to look away. She remembered how freeing it was to be young and innocent to the harsh realities of the world, able to enjoy the simple pleasure of spinning and spinning and spinning.

_Miles away  
I really can't believe I'm here  
And how I still care about you._

Propping herself up onto her elbow, Jackie looked over the breakfast bar that led into the kitchen where Brooke was busy moving her hips to the music and toiling over her Sunday morning chores, unaware that behind her, Kelso surreptitiously studied her every movement in awe. Jackie, unable to peel her eyes away, felt a sudden twinge of jealousy as she spied on the two lovers. It was amazing to watch her ex-boyfriend, so selfish in his youth, be so devoted and in love now. As Brooke separated silverware—their son watching, their daughter dancing—Kelso slipped his arms around her waist and closed his eyes, finding comfort in the crook of her neck while he swayed with her body from side to side.

_Hearts can break and never mend together  
Love can fade away  
Hearts can cry when love won't stay forever  
Hearts can be that way_

Breaking Jackie's concentration was the sudden pounce of a five year old body on her chest. "Morning sleepyhead!" Betsy shouted as she snuggled her head into Jackie's chest. "Get up! Get up!"

"I'm up! I'm up," Jackie exclaimed as she giggled. "And what time did YOU get up?" Betsy shrugged. Probably before the roosters, Jackie figured as she pulled herself, along with the child, into a sitting position. "I saw you dancing," Jackie sang as she rocked her playfully from left to right, "but you didn't see me." The five-year old followed along with a laugh. "Hey, so where is everybody?" Jackie asked her with a squeeze.

_Is everything the same?  
Do you ever think of me  
And how we loved one another?_

Betsy pointed toward the kitchen. "Mommy and daddy are kissing in the kitchen," she whispered, tickled at the sight of her parents' affectionate display. Jackie looked over and smiled.

"Well, that's cause they love each other," Jackie explained, getting lost once again in the sight of what she considered perfection. "And that's how you know, Bets. When the boy you love just can't stop kissing you… it's cause he loves you, too," she imparted to her God-child, spurring a thought in the young girl's mind as she watched her father kiss her mother.

"Then my daddy must REALLY love my mommy," Betsy decided in complete seriousness, her eyes glistening with pride. "A lot." Jackie laughed as she drew the child in for a hug, settling the blankets over them in anticipation of more girl talk.

_Will you change your mind  
Will you want me back again  
Or have you found yourself a new lover?_

"Oh, hey." Jackie looked around the family room and into the kitchen again before turning back to Betsy. "Hey, where's your Uncle Hyde? Is that silly boy down in the basement?"

Betsy shrugged. "He's not here," she said as she squirmed away, intent on watching her cartoons.

"What?" Jackie asked incredulously, whipping off her covers as she planted her feet firmly on the ground to stand. Getting up, she combed through her hair, preparing to run into Hyde at any moment and walked around the couch in search of him. "Hey where's Steven?" she asked Brooke when she got to the kitchen, interrupting their little make-out session. "Where'd he go?"

_Hearts can break and never mend together  
Love can fade away  
Hearts can cry when love won't stay forever  
Hearts can be that way…_

"Oh, Hyde didn't stay here last night," Kelso said, separating himself from Brooke and moving toward the fridge for some juice. "He took off. His car's gone."

His ex-girlfriend grimaced. "When? This morning?"

"No. His car was gone when we stumbled home last night… and then proceeded to do it on the dryer," Kelso spilled, grinning and winking at Brooke.

"Michael!" his fiancé yelled and gave him a smack on the arm. "I can't believe you."

"Oh, sorry, baby," Kelso apologized before quickly turning back to Jackie. "Stupid me. It was the washer." Following another smack to Kelso, Brooke rolled her eyes and walked away toward her their bedroom. "What? What'd I say?" Jackie rolled her eyes, too, and disappeared in the same direction. Kelso followed her briefly. "What'd I say?" He stopped and headed toward his son instead, shaking his head as he pulled the toddler out of his chair. "Man, can you believe that? Chicks," he scoffed. "Just stay away from them altogether… well, until you start to look like me and then just have a blast, man!" Kelso laughed and carried the boy down to the basement to get away from all the crazy girls in his house.

* * *

_Brooke and Kelso's Bedroom_

When Jackie walked into Brooke's unfairly-large bedroom, it became obvious that the bride-to-be had nothing but wedding on the brain. Pictures of gowns and bouquets, cakes and centerpieces were strewn about the room in no apparent order. "You should really organize all this," Jackie suggested as she pushed aside a few bridal magazines in order to sit down on the bed. Sneering, she watched Brooke crawl across the floor, her ass in the air, as she searched for something. "Brooke, what the hell are you doing?"

"Looking for Michael's handcuffs."

"Ew."

Popping her head up, Brooke glowered at her best friend. "Oh, shut up. He can't find them and he has to work tomorrow. And I don't know where the heck…" Brooke's voice faded from Jackie's mind and she looked to the ceiling. There was something really bothering her, an uneasy feeling that she couldn't shake.

"Hey, Brooke? Why do you think he left like that? He didn't even tell me or say goodbye."

"Who? Hyde? I thought he said he was going home last night," the tall brunette said and took a seat on her butt in front of Jackie. "That's what he said when he left the party."

"Well, when we got back here, we put the kids to bed and I told him not to leave. I mean, it was too dangerous for him to be driving in that storm." Understanding the logic, Brooke nodded and witnessed a dreamy expression wash over her friend's face. "Then I made hot cocoa and gave him jammies and we watched Saturday Night Live. But I fell asleep on his chest and then I…"

"Jackie," Brooke interrupted warningly. "Don't you dare start this crap with him again. What about Colin?"

"I'm not! It was just… as friends!"

"You two were making out a few days ago!"

"That was an accident… Anyway, it actually brought us closer. I mean, things are gonna be different now," Jackie supposed…hoped. "Better… I just can't believe that he left without saying anything. What do you think that means?"

Rolling her eyes, it took everything Brooke had to restrain herself from shaking Jackie violently until her brain snapped back into place. "It doesn't matter what it means, Jackie!" She took a deep breath. "Look. You know I would never judge you, and I'm not, I just think you should take a step back and try to remember that as sweet as he seems right now, he wasn't always this way."

Jackie got off the bed and pointed to herself angrily. "Do you actually think I could forget what he did to me?! Brooke, I love Colin. I just… I hated all the awkwardness between me and Steven. And if we're gonna be stuck with each other through our friends for the next fifty years then at least we can learn to finally be friends, too. Right? I mean, why does everyone seem to like it better when we hate each other?"

With a loud sigh, Brooke stood up and hugged her friend, finding her body tense. "Okay. Fine. You're right," Brooke conceded and pulled back. "Why don't you… go take a shower, get dressed, I'll go make my famous blueberry pancakes and you can call Hyde and make sure he got home alright. Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay," Jackie accepted with a smile and left the room to take her shower.

As the petite brunette disappeared around a corner, Brooke shook her head and wondered what in the hell was going on. She knew that girl like a book and something had happened between her and Hyde, more than Jackie was admitting to; Brooke just knew it. Something in her gut told her that her trusting friend was getting sucked backed in, but with the memory of that day still fresh in her mind, she hoped she was wrong…

_Thanksgiving Day - 1980_

_The first thing Brooke could remember about that day was pulling Betsy out of her car seat and handing her sleeping body to Kelso. And it was as their family of three was about halfway up the Forman front walk that they had they noticed Jackie sitting alone on the front stoop, crying softly into her palms…_

"_Hey, it's Jackie," Kelso muttered to Brooke, concerned for his friend. "Jackie, sweet pea, what's wrong?"_

_Instead of answering immediately, Jackie simply wiped her eyes and looked up, feigning normalcy. "Nothing. I'm fine…Hi, Brooke. Happy Thanksgiving," she offered pathetically. Though Kelso wasn't buying it and neither was Brooke._

"_Michael. Could you take Betsy inside? It's cold out here." His face contorted in confusion but Brooke prodded him on with a simple look, sending him inside. "Hey there," Brooke said, sitting down. But Jackie was silent, only her embarrassed eyes responded by avoiding Brooke's. "Jackie, you're not fine. What happened?"_

"_God! This is so embarrassing!" the smaller girl burst out. "Every time I see you, I'm blubbering like a big, fat… FAT girl! You probably think I'm pathetic, especially since your life's so… perfect!"_

_Brooke laughed. "My life is NOT perfect. Trust me. Look. Why don't you just tell me what happened and maybe I can help," she offered, patting Jackie's knee._

"_No one can help me. I'm pitiful," Jackie twisted sideways to face Brooke. "One minute, I'm fine and I'm over it, and then the next, he's sucking some skank's face off and I fall apart!"_

"_Hyde?" Brooke guessed, rolling her eyes. "He's still with that stripper?"_

"_No. That slut left last year. And from what I heard, he was sad about it," Jackie forced out through her building tears. "God, he was never sad about me…" Closing her eyes, the brunette shook her head, obviously trying to expel some hurtful thought from her head. "Anyway, this is about a different slut," she continued, taking a deep, cleansing breath. "So… just a little while ago Mrs. Forman sent me into the basement for some stupid adult table centerpiece, but she keeps all that stuff in Steven's room, and I didn't…I didn't think… I mean, he was just upstairs! I had JUST seen him!"_

"_And…" Brooke encouraged her to continue._

_Jackie's face suddenly lost its usual glow. "He was with his date, some slut, and he…" Stifling the sting in her nose and blinking back tears, she continued. "He was kissing her and he… he…"_

"_Jackie, you don't have to…"_

"_NO. He told her… that… she was beautiful," Jackie whimpered, finally liberating a few of her tears. But they ceased prematurely. Time had taught her to be strong, to be hard; Brooke could see it. The girl was numb. Like him. "I guess I always just stupidly assumed that… I don't know…that I was the only one he thought… that I was somehow special."_

_Brooke smiled sympathetically. "Jackie. You were. He was just trying to… get laid today, okay. He's a pig." The advice didn't seem to be helping though—Jackie's expression only worsened. "No. Look. When Michael and I first… got together, you know, at the concert, he told me I was beautiful. But he was so full of crap, Jackie. He was. He just wanted to get in my pants. But now, when he tells me I'm beautiful, it's different… because he means it, because he loves me, and I feel special. But I didn't at the concert. Do you understand what I'm saying?"_

"_That I AM special?" Brooke nodded and watched the girl who she would one day call her best friend begin to smile. "I AM special. I knew it!!" The fire in Jackie's eyes returned and Brooke chuckled to herself. What the Hyde taketh away, the Brooke giveth. "Brooke? Why can't I just get over him?"_

"_Well… I think maybe you got stuck in a moment, you know, and I think you're still back there. But it WILL pass. I promise. One day you'll just—poof!—let him go." Jackie smiled sadly and laid her congested head down on Brooke's shoulder._

"_God, I hope so. Cause I'm exhausted," Jackie joked halfheartedly._

_Brooke smiled. "I know…"_

* * *

_One hour later…_

Her body clean and her tummy full, Jackie sank into Kelso's favorite recliner, content to pass the time staring at rain. As her bare feet dangled over the arm of the brown Lazyboy, she wondered why she even gave a shit what Hyde was thinking by leaving like that.

Or feeling.

Jackie sighed, disappointed with how she was reacting to him lately, allowing him in like that, in her body and mind. He didn't seem affected at all by her with his terse little comments on the phone. She reminded herself of a promise she had made herself many years before—to no longer be concerned with the ways and actions of Steven Hyde and, before Halloween, it had served her well.

But the night before, at Brian's party, minus his little "racy outfit" outburst, he had been charming and had sucked her in again with his smile and his fucking eyes, reminding her of things forgotten. Good memories that he had so callously erased with his cruelty and spitefulness, he was now trying to rekindle—forcing memories on her that she didn't want to remember, like their night at the drive-in.

Jackie shifted in her seat and drew her knees to her chest as the song on the radio abruptly changed to _Harden my heart by_ Quarterflash, a song that made her jaw clench tightly and took her mind to a place that she had spent over three years trying to erase from her list of experiences.

_Cryin' on the corner  
Waitin' in the rain  
I swear, I'll never, ever, wait again_

The world around the large chair she was curled into was turning dark and her heart was wrenching already, the hate was returning, crisp in its vile perfection. She intended to get up and change the radio station but instead got lost in the memory of Brooke's birthday party, the one where this song had been playing so many years before…

_You gave me your word  
But words, for you, are lies…_

_February 14, 1981_

_Kelso and Brooke's Place – Chicago, Illinois_

_Neither she nor Hyde had shown up with a date and Jackie remembered being thankful that she wouldn't have to spend another night watching him slobber all over some random slut. But because of that absence of companionship—mixed with a lot of alcohol—she found him watching her, significantly more than usual…_

Darlin' in my wildest dreams  
I never thought I'd go  
But it's time to let you know

_At some point during the evening, probably near the end of the night, she figured, she was in the kitchen, pulling the cap off of her wine cooler when a deep and familiar "Hey" came from behind. When she spun around, a red-eyed Hyde was smirking and staring at her lewdly, drunk off his ass. Looking her up and down, he grinned wider—seemingly approving of her dress, tight and red—and stepped toward her. It made her nervous, the depraved gleam in his eye, so she took a step back but was stopped cold by the kitchen counter. _

_Shit._

"_Hey," she responded apprehensively, involving herself in his stare as her heart pumped full of adrenaline—her body's typical response to his presence. "Steven."_

I'm gonna harden my heart  
I'm gonna swallow my tears  
I'm gonna turn and leave you here

_Her breathing grew rapid as Hyde stepped closer with an intent gaze, bringing himself only inches from her heaving chest. Her eyes drifted downward to his mouth as his lips turned up into another smirk. "I need to get a glass, Jackie," he nearly whispered the moment she felt his hips connect with hers, causing a quiet whimper to escape from her throat._

"_Uh huh," was all she could manage as she tried unsuccessfully to back up. In response, Hyde arched one expectant eyebrow and sighed. _

"_Well if you're not gonna move then I'm just gonna have to go around you." _

All of my life  
I've been waitin' in the rain  
I've been waiting for a feeling  
That never, ever, came

_Before Jackie could budge, finally registering what was happening, Hyde grabbed the countertop to her left and leaned forward to her right, pressing himself tightly against her body, trapping her as he opened up the cabinet behind her head. She was helplessly pinned and as her hands gripped onto the countertop that dug into her lower back, she felt his breath warm her ear. He was taking a really long time she recalled thinking the moment her eyes fell shut at his familiar scent. God, she had missed him so much._

It feels so close  
But always disappears

_As Hyde's warm chest melded with hers, Jackie heard him set a glass down on the cheap Formica countertop and close the cabinet shut. But he still hadn't moved. Instead, she felt his soft lips as they made contact with her ear and his teeth as they tugged roughly at her lobe. "Steven," she gasped, feeling another strong surge of adrenaline rip through her heart and finally relaxing against him. Her head rolled back slightly when he began to suck and bite lightly on her neck. "Oh God," she whispered, bringing her lips to his cheek and allowing herself the pleasure of placing her hands on his sides and pulling him even closer. "God, baby, I missed you so much."_

Darlin' in your wildest dreams  
You never had a clue  
But it's time you got the news

_Hyde continued to insistently kiss and suck on the crease of her neck for another few seconds when he suddenly stopped, stepped back and scoffed at her with a mocking grin. "Yeah, you wish, Jackie," he said, shaking his head with amusement as he grabbed his glass and simply turned away to head back to the party, leaving her stunned. Tears instantly scorched her unblinking eyes; she was nearly in shock. And when he disappeared from sight, Jackie could feel her body start to shake violently while she began to mentally break down from the pain. Hyde had nearly succeeded in completely annihilating her sanity with his viciousness, seeing as she briefly considered going home to swallow a bottle full of pills, but instead, against that counter, something inside of her snapped…_

_I'm gonna harden my heart  
I'm gonna swallow my tears  
I'm gonna turn and leave you here_

Twenty-four year old Jackie Burkhart stared out at the rain and realized that the way Hyde made her feel on that night still lived in her memory, no matter how much she'd tried to kill it. Instead of leaving her weakened in that kitchen with the usual sadness, he had left her strong and seething with pure hatred, mixed with the acceptance that the Steven Hyde that she loved was gone, lost somewhere in her memory and in time. The prick that strutted away from her was merely the garbage and white trash upbringing that was left behind. It had only been a little over a year since their break-up and he was young and arrogant but the fucker was still getting off on her pain and Jackie had been done offering herself up for his fucking amusement.

_Darlin' in my wildest dreams  
I never thought I'd go  
But it's time to let you know_

She couldn't help but smile softly to herself, proud of how she had handled things from that moment on, with grace and dignity and strength. It was on that Valentine's night that her heartbreak had finally begun to ease with the acceptance that the boy who said he loved her, as they lay surrounded by the scent of strawberries, was dead… probably forever. Accepting that there was no more Steven; there only the dick everyone else saw… Hyde. And that's what she called him for three and a half years as she slowly let him go… Hyde. It had served her well.

_I'm gonna harden my heart  
I'm gonna swallow my tears  
I'm gonna turn and leave you here_

"Jackie," she heard a familiar voice call out and turned her head to see Donna smiling wide at her. "Come on! I brought you a present."

"What?" The brunette jumped up and hurriedly followed her red-headed friend down to the basement, squealing with joy and forgetting all about one of her most painful memories as she focused all of her energy on one of her favorite things in the entire world… presents!

* * *

_The Basement – A second later_

_Stand back by Stevie Nicks is playing on Eric's old stereo._

"Holy Freakin' Crap!" Donna yelled out. "It's Eric's basement!" Darting around a beat up chair of the Hyde persuasion, the red-head flopped herself down on an orange replica of the couch she had spent so many years on, makin' out and hangin' out. "It's more comfy though!" she noted with a smile and a bounce. "This is awesome! I can't believe Kelso did this!!"

Laughing and skipping down the stairs, Jackie could hear her friend's excitement and made a dash for the couch, jumping on top of her. "Where's my present!" she screeched.

"Oh!" Donna grunted out when a hundred and five pounds of weight was hurled upon her body. "Hang on," she laughed. "It's not just for you." Jackie made a face and pinched Donna's inner thigh.

"You tricked me!"

"Ow! That freakin' hurt, you little twerp!"

Jackie stuck out her tongue. "Good. Now where's my gift?" Rolling her eyes, Donna sat up and pointed Brooke toward the lawn chair, Amy, Fez's new girlfriend, toward a footrest across from her and Jackie toward Hyde's chair.

"All of you… sit! I've got film." With a wiggle, Jackie sat down and smiled while Brooke and Amy shared a strange look. Realizing that the two other girls had no idea what 'film' meant, Donna peeked over at Jackie and laughed. "Oops, I forgot. I've got weed, girls," she announced a second time. "Pot, Mary-Jane, hemp, grass, herb, bud, ganja…"

"Oh!" Brooke said, finally understanding. "That's right. Michael explained 'film' to me once."

"Wow, it's been a long time since I've done it twice in a row," Jackie commented as Donna pulled a perfectly rolled joint from her breast pocket.

"Wait a second… twice in a row? I thought you said you hadn't smoked in a while?" Donna said to Jackie while lighting the fat bone. "That's why I stole this damn thing from Hyde."

Touched, Jackie placed her hand to her heart. How sweet of Donna to know that something stolen from that bastard just tasted sweeter. "Thank you, Donna."

"We _haven't _smoked in a while," Brooke answered as Donna passed her the joint. "But because _Hyde_ was coming over this weekend, my moron fiancé confiscated a bunch from some kids on Friday night." She passed the large joint to Amy with a smile.

"Okay. So, I don't get it… _why_ is it called film? I mean, Fez is always making these strange photo processing jokes. Does that have something to do with it?" the brunette asked as she handed the joint off to Jackie.

"Well, sort of. See, Hyde used to work at a Fotohut and so he and Leo used to say 'film' to avoid having to say the real word, and… Well, Fez is just strange. You're gonna have to get used to that."

"Yeah, that's true," Donna concurred, taking a hit and turning to Jackie with a wicked smirk. "Hey, do you remember that time that the guys got Fez drunk, dressed him up like a girl and then took him to that truck stop?" She laughed at the memory. "Yeah, those were good times."

Brooke took the joint and giggled. "No. The best part of the whole night was when he claimed his name was Tootsie and started humming the theme song!"

Amy took her hit with a scowl on her face. "You know, he's always humming at inappropriate moments," she confessed as she tried to pass to Jackie, who was laughing so hard that she had to skip her and move on to Donna, who was stifling her own laughter.

The red-head took a short drag. "Does he… cry a little, too," she asked, finally breaking down and forcing a snort out of an already hysterical Jackie.

Brooke's jaw dropped. "Oh, you guys are mean!" she scolded as she passed to Amy.

"You know, he does…" Amy replied, making another face as she finally got Jackie to take the joint. The brunette attempted to take a hit but failed miserably and fell off of her chair with a thump.

"Oh my God," Jackie sighed, trying to reel in her laughter. "Oh, poor Fez." Taking a hit, the brunette thanked God that she never slept with the foreigner. She stuck her arm up in the air just as the music changed and coughed her smoke out, encouraging Donna to snag the blunt out of her hand. The rest of the girls began talking again while the cool vinyl edge of Hyde's replica chair chilled Jackie cheek. High as a Boeing 747, she rested her head and listened as Kim Carnes took her back in time to Bob's wedding reception…

_Her hair is Harlow gold  
Her lips, sweet surprise  
Her hands are never cold  
She's got Bette Davis eyes…_

_April 17, 1982_

_She had been sitting at the Forman table, waiting for her date to return from the restroom when, she assumed, Hyde must have walked up. Her eyes were closed so she was completely unaware that he was watching her and smirking as she sang and bounced in her chair. "And she'll tease you… She'll unease you… All the better just to please you… She's precocious and she knowwwwws…" It was then that she opened her blue/green eyes and saw him, grinning down at her. "Hey Hyde," she muttered, blushing from embarrassment._

_He chuckled. "Hey," he said and took a seat beside her. It was difficult to ignore how good he looked in his suit, blue tie loosened, face clean shaven._

"_So where's your girlfriend?" she asked, practically sneering at the mention of the tramp. _

_Hyde sighed and settled into his seat, taking a quick swig of his beer before answering. "Who freakin' knows. Why? Where's your boyfriend?" _

_Jackie shrugged. "Probably off flirting with that waitress that was here earlier," she scoffed; waiting for him to make fun of her but instead he just appeared angry._

"_Seriously?" Hyde straightened up and began to scour the crowd diligently. "You want me to kick his ass for you?"_

"_No, Hyde. It's okay… I don't really care." _

_Returning to his beer, Hyde nodded that he understood. He apparently didn't care much about his girlfriend either Jackie had concluded after seeing him with the girl. "Yeah… don't. Caring sucks," he reminded her while taking another swallow of his Budweiser. Peering in his insipid eyes, Jackie thought she saw loneliness and wondered who was there for him… to make him feel better when he was unhappy. Going by his listless and vacant gaze, she suspected that the answer was no one, but her sympathy lasted mere seconds; for he had done it to himself. _

"_Hey, Jackie," Hyde began, as he stared at his beer, immediately bringing his baby blues up to meets hers. They seemed to be calling out to her, begging for something, and she found herself having to fight against the feelings that were quickly resurfacing. Her jaw clenched instinctively, biting back the emotions and silently reminding her that she hated him. But it was the first time since their break-up that Jackie swore she saw him—the real him. It was a rare 'Steven' sighting. He was looking at her so sincerely, so sadly as if… he missed her. "When… when we were goin' out, did you…" He stopped, appearing unsure of himself as he visibly swallowed. "Jackie," She watched him take a deep breath and look down. "Sometimes I…" _

"_Hyde. Come on, I wanna get the hell out of here. I hate this place." He looked up at his girlfriend and curtly told her that he'd be there in a minute before shifting his focus back on Jackie. "I guess I gotta head out. But… you… you look really good, Jackie," he said so softly that she barely heard it. But what she remembered most was the way he was looking at her, like he knew he had fucked up. Like he finally figured out what she had known for two years. That he blew it… and lost the best thing he would ever possess. Her._

"_So do you, Hyde," she remembered saying as he stood up and walked away, ending the last decent conversation they had until the night he saved her ass, only two months later… _

_She's precocious  
and she knows just  
what it takes to make a pro blush…_

Tearing Jackie from her memory, Amy tapped her shoulder and smiled as she handed off the nearly smoked away joint.Grinning knowingly up at her friends, the small brunette laid her head on her ex-boyfriend's seat and began to sing. _"_All the boys think she's a spy…" Donna, Brooke and Amy all joined in loudly. "She's got… Bette Davis eyes!"

* * *

That afternoon

Caroline's Bridal Shop – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

With her arms spread wide, Jackie breezed out of the dressing room and did what most girls do while wearing a dress of such caliber… twirled… like a little girl.

"This one's my favorite!"

Donna's jaw dropped. "Wow. Oh my God. Now THAT's a bride's maid's dress," she said as she admired the pale yellow wrap gown that Jackie was modeling. "God, it looks great with her hair, too," she added, speaking to Brooke. Then Donna had a thought and examined a lock of her own auburn hair. "Eh, I should've stayed a blond. It would've matched better."

"NO," Jackie shouted and spun around to lock eyes with her oldest friend. "No, Donna. You were a bitch with blond hair. The red stays," Jackie declared with a tight-lipped nod before turning back to the full length mirror to admire herself.

Donna rolled her eyes in response. "I was depressed, Jackie!" she repeated for probably the 100th time in the three years since returning to her natural state. Exasperated, she turned to Brooke. "I was depressed!"

Smiling somewhat painfully, Brooke could only shrug her shoulders as Jackie spun back around again, her face scrunched up from contemplation. "You know what, Brooke. Donna's right. Yellow is not gonna match her hair and she is NOT…" Her eyes wide, Jackie focused an extra long glare—pursed lips included—on her red-headed friend, "dying her hair again!" With that, Jackie shifted her focus to Brooke. "Therefore, being the generous person that I am known for being…"

Jackie ignored the strange between Brooke and Donna and continued.

"…I choose the green. It'll go with my eye AND her beautiful _RED_ hair! Even though the yellow looks fabulous on me," she added with a smile and a far-away pose.

"What about my cousin though?" Brooke asked. "She's got blue eyes and blonde hair."

Jackie scoffed. "Who cares? Her little blonde ass should've been here if she wanted a say."

"Jackie, she lives in Denver," Donna reminded her sternly.

"SO! I'm the maid of honor and I say green."

"I think Jackie's right," a voice interjected, causing everyone to look over at Amy. "About the green," Amy clarified. "It goes with one of her eyes and Donna's hair… it's got a better design AND it's cheaper. You guys should definitely go with that one," she concluded with a smile, flipping her long hair and returning to her copy of Soap Opera Digest.

Jackie nodded. "See. Even Amy thinks I'm right. The green."

"The green," Brooke agreed, earning an approving nod from Donna as well, who liked herself in emerald green. It brought out the green in her own eyes. "Now, we just have to talk Michael out of his Miami Vice tux and my wedding will be perfect!"

Jackie laughed. "No, shit. There is NO WAY I am walking back down the aisle with Hyde scowling and looking like an ice cream cone."

"I don't know. I think Eric would look sexy dressed like Sonny Crocket. You know with his hair all slicked back and dangerous," Donna said whimsically, pulling together the image in her mind.

Jackie groaned. "Ew, Donna. You would."

* * *

That night

Jackie's Apartment – 6:57 pm

With an angry growl, Jackie stepped into her apartment and dropped her overnight bag to the floor. What a freakin' weekend, she thought as she shut the door and turned up the thermostat. What a fucking week. She hated the rain; it made her hair frizzy and was ruining her new suede boots, not to mention that it put Steven Hyde back on her stupid mind. That fucking stadium and those god damn complaining… injured… people. So a little piece of roof fell; what was the big deal, she wondered.

After slipping off her boots, she placed them by the heater and ran into her room to change into something warm and comfy, planning on dinner, a bath and a little bit of TV before bed.

Jackie wasn't in her pajamas but two minutes when the phone rang. Excited at who it probably was, she dived into her bed and picked up the phone with an anticipatory giggle. "Hello?"

"_Hey beautiful."_

"Baby!" Jackie screamed. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry I didn't call you this weekend. I was just so busy."

"_It's okay," _Colin said quietly._ "So did you have fun?"_

"Yeah. Me and Donna and Brooke and Amy all got high and went shopping." She heard a small laugh come through the line as she slipped underneath her covers to get comfortable. "Colin. I miss you, sugarplum. And I want you to come home… now."

"_I miss you, too, baby… I wish I could… You know I can't,"_ she heard him say softly and could instantly tell that he meant it. He was missing her and that made her smile as she curled up with her pillow_. "Jackie?"_

"Yeah, I'm here. So where are you?"

"_My hotel room,"_ he answered when a barely audible female giggle sounded out behind him.

Jackie sat up. "Wait… Who the hell is THAT!"

"_Oh."_ Colin lowered his voice. _"That's some chick Adam's been hanging out with."_ He lowered it even more. _"I've had to listen to them fucking do it in the bed next to me for the last three god damn nights. I mean, who does that? Like I wanna hear that shit."_

Jackie heard him sigh into the receiver and it made her eyes grow wide. "Oh. So… What'd you do this weekend?" she asked, changing the subject. "Did you have to work?"

"_No. We just went out… to a couple bars. It was alright, I guess. I would have rather been home with you… doin' it._" He chuckled breathily into her ear for a brief moment. _"Instead of listening to other people get to,"_ he added with a little more irritation in his voice.

Jackie smiled. "Aww. You're mad cause wanna do it with me, baby," she teased.

"_Yeah… I do. Who wouldn't? You're fucking hot, baby… and… I miss you, Jackie… I love you."_

"Oh, you love me," she cooed. He wasn't one to say it all the time. So when he did, it mattered. "Well I love you, too." There was a long silence followed by his sorrowful voice.

"_I gotta go, Jackie."_

"But… Why? Where are you going?"

"_We're all going out. But… I'll just stay in so we can talk."_

"No. No, it's okay," Jackie said half-heartedly. "Go out. Have fun, honey. Just call me tomorrow night, okay, after I get home from work."

"_I can't. I'm gonna be at a Knicks game,"_ he replied sounding as if he didn't really want to go. "_Shit, Jackie, I'm sorry_." She heard him sigh his worries into the phone while they sat in silence for almost a full minute. _"You still love me?"_

"Yes. Just… call me Tuesday then?" she asked, the inflection in her voice hopeful.

"_I promise. I will. I love you, babe."_

"I love you, too."

"_Bye,"_ she heard him say before hanging up the phone, never waiting for her response.

"Bye." Jackie scoffed to herself and slammed down the phone. "Jerk," she sobbed and sunk into her bed, pulling the covers up and over her head. "Asshole!" Jackie screamed out in frustration. It was part of his job to be in New York whenever they told him to be, she knew that, she had accepted it early on, but he was _never_ around anymore and she barely felt as if she even had a boyfriend. And yeah, she told him to go out, but he was NOT supposed to actually go. He was supposed to want to stay on the phone with her, insist on it even. But… he just went out and probably a hundred skankoid whores would be hitting on him because he was hot. And what would stop him, she wondered. Nothing had stopped Hyde and from what she gathered from her encounters with him and Jessica, he was in love with_ her_.

Forgetting all about her dinner, Jackie just took a simple shower, blew dry her hair, and returned to bed, stewing in jealousy thoughts and painful memories until a raging headache accompanied her into sleep.

* * *

The Next Day

**November 5, 1984 – 1:33 pm**

**Channel 4 News Station**

A million thoughts traveled through Jackie's mind while she sat and smoothed her hand over her recently cleaned desk. It was situated amongst many in a room filled with her fellow employees; all packed in like sardines. Here, Jackie Burkhart was nothing special, except to the closest of her friends—her most trusted confidants. And she was learning to accept that.

The enormous research office was lit up brightly and people were scattered about, hustling and bustling and bumping into one another like busy little worker ants—all pressed by a deadline. Beyond the hectic scene was a wall made entirely of glass, exhibiting a mural of storm clouds and pouring rain, reminding them all that the world, or Wisconsin, seemed to be falling apart. To her immediate left sat a pile of manila envelopes containing photographs from public events that meant nothing to anyone. To her right sat her purse, filled with make-up and junk that also meant nothing, nothing at all. But behind the brown leather bag stood a little man, smiling eccentrically at her and donning a green afro. 'Today is the first day of the rest of your life' the tag at his feet read. Is it, Jackie wondered?

The odd little troll had been a gift that she had thoughtfully placed in Hyde's lunch six years before… simply because she loved him. But to her dismay, he returned it in a box full of meaningless things that she had left in his room—dropped on her doorstep two full years after their break-up. It was his finality, his closure; she had figured when she brought the box inside and then cried herself into a depression that lasted nearly two weeks. All while hugging that stupid doll.

Jackie squeezed her eyes shut tight when a wave of emotion coursed through her body and gave her chills. Why she brought it in today, she didn't know. You hate him, she reminded herself. _I hate him_, she mouthed, opening her eyes quickly to scan the room for any witnesses.

"You alright?" a voice called from behind and startled her. It was Kevin: a confidant. "You know," he said, taking a seat across from her. "You've been avoiding me all day." At that, his normally mouthy co-worker simply shrugged and stared at a strange new doll on her desk. "So… Was that him? At the party?"

With a nod, Jackie reached out and took possession of the troll, finding solace in twirling his course hair around her fingers. "Yeah."

"Sweetie. Are you alright?"

"I don't know," she replied, letting her soggy eyes be known. "I guess I just miss Colin. I just wish he would…" Damming back her tears was of the utmost importance in this place; people talked. "…come home," she pushed out with feigned strength.

Kevin nodded, unsure of how to make it better. "Hm. Well, maybe…" Cutting him off was the double beep of Jackie's phone line. But the brunette didn't seem to be moving so he answered for her. "Jackie Burkhart's desk…Oh hey, Elle. What's up…Well who is it?" A gasp from her best work friend's lips forced Jackie's eyes up.

"What? Who is it? Kevin?" He shook his head and waved her off frantically.

"Uh huh. Yeah. Oh my God. I'll send her right out." With wide eyes and his mouth agape in astonishment, Kevin hung up the phone. "Oh holy crap."

Jackie reached out and smacked him. "Will you just spill it already?"

Kevin placed his hands out in front of him, as if to accentuate the news. "_Steven Hyde_ is out in the lobby, waiting for you." He suddenly stood up and in a hoarse whisper began to freak out on Jackie's behalf. "That hot, whore-marrying asshole is totally in the mother-fucking lobby!"

"What?" Something made her rise from her seat—a rush of adrenaline—it almost hurt as Kevin spun her stunned body around and pushed her toward the elevator. "Why would he come here?"

"He loves you," Kevin concluded. "I've always told you that boys are assholes and from the time they are five are mean to the girls, or boys, they love. Well, the hot ones are anyway. And I saw him the other night; he's a total Bowie."

"No. Something's wrong. Hyde… Steven wouldn't come to see me at work unless something was wrong… Oh God," she uttered as they stepped into the elevator and headed down to the first floor. "If Colin calls, just tell him I got a last minute assignment."

"I'll sit at your desk until you come back," her dark-haired friend promised. "Just find out what Hyde…Steven… whatever the hell his name is wants."

When the elevator doors opened, the two tip-toed out, skulking from plant to plant until Hyde came fully into view. Concealed behind a support beam, Jackie and Kevin watched Hyde frown and put his head in his hands. "Is he mad?" Kevin asked.

"No," Jackie replied, knowing by heart the body language of the boy who could send her world into a tailspin with a single glance. "He's upset."

* * *

Outside – 14 minutes later

1:54 pm

Jackie's heart lodged in her throat as she watched Hyde's eyes shine and turn red. There was no doubt in her mind that he was coming to her out of pure loneliness. She suspected that with Jessica gone, he had no one else to turn to. Though, she wondered why the others were not there for him after such an experience. And poor old Leo. God, as much as she clashed with the old, dirty hippy in her younger years, she had grown fond of him and couldn't imagine anything happening to him. Hyde loved him so much and that proved to be good enough for her until one day she realized that she loved him, too.

"Is he gonna die?" she asked, feeling a familiar sting in her eyes.

"I don't know," she read from his silent lips. He was staring intently into her eyes and the expression on his face was breaking her heart, surprising her even as a small dose of saline moistened his eyes and sent his head downward. "But he thought it was all his fault."

"Oh, Steven. C'mere." Jackie reached out and snaked her arms tightly around his neck, lifting onto her tip-toes to spare him from having to bend down. She felt him nuzzle his face into her hair and closed her eyes at the way he felt… so warm and perfect in her arms. He pulled her entire body flush against his, grasping onto her for dear life as she tried to whisper his pain away. "He's gonna be okay, Steven…I promise. I know how much you love him, baby. I love him, too… God, it has to be okay. Doesn't it?" As he squeezed her tighter, Jackie allowed herself to release every terrible memory of him… for now. This wasn't the trash that strutted away from her at that party, or the empty shell that reached out to her at Bob's wedding reception, or even the angry drunk that saved her a couple months later—the man she was holding was the man that Kitty and Red Forman raised him to be. The man he was meant to be. He was finally here… wrapped tightly in her arms.

"Jackie?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you come with me… to the hospital?"

"Of course."

To Be Continued.

* * *

**A/N2: **If you have another spare minute, I would really love and appreciate a review. Some of you guys are gettin' lazy on me! But only some of you. Tsk Tsk:P I'm sticking my bottom lip out now, pouting. Please don't make me beg. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Never Judge a Boy by His Cover**

A/N: To everyone who reviewed: Thank you! I still swear that T7S fanfic fans are the best out there. Okay, so don't get all mad at the first flashback and don't skip it either! It will be painful for some of you BUT it explains A LOT about Hyde's behavior last chapter. Keep in mind that five years of anger and distance has to derive from more than just a stupid Las Vegas stripper. That's my opinion anyway. So basically the 1st flashback finishes explaining their distance while the 2nd starts to explain what gave that last bolt the strength to hold them together through it all…

**WARNING! Rated M for sex and dirty language. **It came out dirtier than planned, I couldn't help myself. Sorry.

* * *

**Previously: **

"Would you come with me… to the hospital?"

"Of course."

* * *

**Monday, November 5, 1984 **

**1:59 pm**

"Oh my God! Steven," Jackie cried out, startled by the sting of bitter cold that pierced her chest. She immediately pulled away to look down at the two wet spots circling over her breasts. "What…Why are you all wet?"

"Oh… sorry," Hyde said, almost blushing as he frowned at her wet shirt and tugged on his. "I thought it was dry."

Jackie reached out to touch him, first pinching at his cold, damp t-shirt and then casually slipping a warm hand underneath to his bare stomach, only to wince at what she found. "Steven, you're freezing."

"I'm fine," he insisted, too embarrassed to admit that he was, in fact, freezing. His coat, jeans, and apparently his shirt, too, were all still damp, although it was probably the 30-something degree temperature that had him shaking to his core, especially now that Jackie had taken her body heat away.

"No, sweetie, you're not. Your clothes are almost frozen and you're shivering. Were you standing out in the rain?" The expression that accompanied his nod made her melt with sympathy for him. "Come on. Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"Back inside." With all of her usual tenacity, Jackie grabbed Hyde's hand and dragged him around the building, back toward the main front doors, and when they reached the inside, she turned to him with a bright smile. "Okay, just sit here and give me five minutes. I won't be long."

"Jackie, you don't need to leave. I can hang around Milwaukee 'til you get off work."

"In wet clothes?" Jackie grabbed the cuff of his jacket. "Steven, your sleeve has freakin' ice on it. Ice, Steven! Only dogs and little kids have crunchy wrists in the wintertime, not grown twenty-five year old men! Now, sit!" Hyde stared at her briefly but just thought 'fuck it' as he sat down on the vinyl bench seat behind him. "Don't move," she added.

"Jackie," he warned. "I'm not going anywhere. Just go." Then there was the typical awkward pause that accompanied their post-break-up conversations in which Jackie fidgeted nervously while Hyde simply stared at her, wondering what the hell her crazy ass was doing. "You going or not?"

"I'm going," she snapped and walked away in a huff. But as Jackie distanced herself from his position in the lobby, she could feel his scrutinizing eyes burn through her, making her insides hot. Always the showman, the brunette gave her gait a little extra swing from the hips and made certain to address every employee who came within fifteen feet; she was gonna make sure her ex knew that she was _still_ the most popular girl.

From his bench, Hyde grinned knowingly, more than aware of what his ex-girlfriend was up to. The girl didn't walk like that everyday and she wasn't that god damn friendly. No where near it. Jackie could play her little games with anyone else, but not him; he knew better. Looking away, Hyde realized that he was in familiar territory, yet it was a place that he hadn't inhabited in years—seven to be exact. And the last time he was here, he was eighteen and a complete idiot whose brilliant plan of action was to act like the biggest disinterested asshole that ever existed. Hyde smiled. Shit, he couldn't knock it though; it did work on the girl. But now, at twenty-five, he really _had_ to be disinterested. He was taken—happily taken—he told himself. He loved Jessica. Didn't he?

Maybe.

Hyde glanced backed up, just in time to catch Jackie's big eyes flip his way while she stood, waiting for the elevator. Then, realizing she was caught, she gave him that bright smile again, making him wonder what in the hell had possessed him to hold so much anger toward her for so god damn long. Looking at her now, he couldn't remember how they had gotten that way. Of course, there was Sam, she didn't help, nor did his attitude, but he and Jackie had learned to co-exist for a little while after, and he couldn't…and then it hit him. Hyde shut his eyes. Oh yeah: Carrie Myers…

* * *

_Thanksgiving Day, 1980_

_In a flurry of movement, Hyde backed his Thanksgiving date across the basement, sparing a moment to pull off her blouse and his own shirt before quickly shoving his tongue back into her mouth. _

"_God, Hyde."_

"_Shh. I told you not to talk," he reminded the brunette, using his lips again to silence her. Lifting the girl's legs up around his hips, Hyde swiftly moved her petite frame into his bedroom, unsnapping her bra once there and earning himself one of the only noises he had pre-approved her to make: a gasp as he sucked brutally on her nipple. _

"_Oh, God." _

"_Shut it," he repeated as he found her mouth again and backed them both against the wall with a slam._

"_I can't help it," she whimpered breathily, her speech slightly muffled by his active tongue. "You feel so good, baby…"_

"_God damn it, Carrie!" Hyde pulled away angrily. "You know what, forget it," he nearly shouted and was just about to push past her when she desperately hooked her arms around his waist and stopped him. _

"_Okay! Okay, I'm sorry. Please," she beseeched him, her eyes pleading pathetically. "I'll shut up." Hyde ignored the shot of guilt that the look on her face incited; this girl was desperate to please him, willing to tolerate his strange behavior just to be with him, clueless to the real motives behind his demands. "Fine, c'mere," he said, taking her lips softly this time and using his tongue more sensually. His hang-ups weren't her fault, he knew, and in fact, Hyde thought the chick would have probably made an okay girlfriend, if he had wanted one. Instead, Carrie Myers came at a time in his life when 'fuck buddy' was the highest honor he was willing to bestow—the title par excellence—only receiving a call when her specific attribute was being craved. _

_Hyde closed his eyes and slipped his fingers into her dark, silky hair, groaning lightly when she brushed her lips down his chest and slowly dropped to her knees in an undeniable and inexplicable desire to gratify him at any cost. Unzipping his jeans, the girl worked quickly to slip the stiff material down his legs and appease his erection by taking the head of his cock into her mouth, slowly sucking and twirling her tongue around the soft, swollen tip. As she fulfilled his silent fantasy, Hyde smirked at the sight of her tight little body below him; the olive tone of her skin; her small, perky breasts; the long, dark hair and the pouty, crimson lips that so eagerly swallowed down his dick. From this angle, she was a spot on match, and it just slipped out. _

"_God, you're beautiful," he said, tightening his grip on her hair and forcing her to take him deeper. The ignorant girl moaned in response and as he closed his eyes and began to thrust himself into her zealous mouth, Hyde thought he heard a noise come from just outside the door. Choosing to ignore it, he dropped his head back against the wall, unable to think about much more than the vigorous sucking off he was receiving. _

_When Hyde felt himself nearing his inevitable conclusion, he pulled Carrie up and spun her around, offering no explanation as he bent her over the back of his recliner. Wasting no time, he pushed the brunette's mini-skirt above her hips and ripped off the skimpy little panties that were in his way, taking a moment to straighten the girl up by her jaw and slip his hand around to ensure she was nice and ready for him. "I'll let you scream," he growled in her ear, earning him a smile as he forced her back down and gripped her wriggling hips. He was about to drive himself into her wet, pink folds when she stopped him. _

"_WAIT! Shit. I forgot to take my pill yesterday…and today."_

"_What? Man, what the fuck, Carrie," Hyde groaned, wincing and out of breath from anticipation. "You tell me this now?"_

"_I'm sorry. Just… put on a condom. Come on, baby, please," she whined and bucked her hips back against his, letting him know that she wanted it more than even he did. "I need you to fuck me, Hyde."_

_Moistening his lips, Hyde admired the way she worked her ass over him, persuading him to hurry, and leaned down to run his tongue over her back. "Okay, I'll be right back," he said with a kiss and quickly dressed. _

_Upstairs, Hyde peeked into the living room and tried to figure out who in the hell would have a condom because he sure as hell didn't and it was Thanksgiving: all the stores were closed. "God damn it," he muttered to himself as his erection strained painfully in his jeans. He watched Kelso walk in and immediately disqualified him; that tied-down idiot had no clue what a condom was anymore and neither did Forman. There was no way in hell he was asking Bob or Red and that only left one man: Fez. _

"_Hey, Fez, man. You gotta help me out. I got a chick downstairs," Hyde hinted, slightly bouncing on his feet and looking at his foreign friend as if he held the elixir of life in his back pocket. "Come on, man," he whispered hoarsely as he punched his friend's arm. "I know you have one! Hand it over!"_

"_Ow! Well, how do you know that I don't need it?! Huh? Is it so impossible to imagine that Fez might…Oh, fine! Here, you lucky son of a bitch," Fez grumbled, pulling a brand new condom out of his wallet. "You get Thanksgiving sex and I get nothing!"_

"_Uh…Mrs. Forman made pie," Hyde offered with a hopeful grin. _

"_Oh." Fez smiled and handed his horny friend the rubber. "Okay."_

"_Thanks buddy." _

_Ready to fuck, Hyde made his way back toward the basement door but stopped when he heard two familiar female voices coming from inside the dining room. _

"_God, why do I let Steven do this to me, Brooke?" It was Jackie and Hyde grinned evilly as he inched closer to get a better listen. "I just…I just didn't want to deal with this today, you know."_

"_Jackie, this is exactly what I'm talking about; you gotta stop letting Hyde get to you. He's not worth it."_

_There was a long silence and just as Hyde was about to walk away, Jackie began to speak again. "You know what, you're absolutely right, Brooke. He's not worth it. He's not worth anything! You know, I used to think that even though Steven's parents were both gross and trashy, that he wasn't; that he was different. But you know what I'm starting to realize? He's not! He's nothing but trash, too, just like them! I mean, he is the complete definition of white trash, Brooke! He married a stripper from Vegas, grew that stupid mustache that made him look like a freakin' porn star, and now, he's always drunk and smelling like beer and he's constantly sucking the nasty face off of some drugged-out looking whore. He's the king of white trash, Brooke! Ew. God, I have no idea WHAT the hell I ever saw in him. Pft! **I** …was way too good for him…It's no wonder his parents took off!"_

_As Jackie laughed, Hyde narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth until he heard Kelso's girlfriend sigh. "Jackie, look. I don't mean to judge, but you seem to have a lot of unhealthy anger; and constantly getting upset over what your ex-boyfriend is doing is not going to make it go away. In fact, I know of a great book that might help you get some real closure."_

"_Oh, no no no. Cosmo is my break-up manual, Brooke. And it's helped me get PLENTY of freakin' closure! And I could care less what that pig does… I'm completely over him… I mean, according to Cosmo, Steven is just one of those losers who still lives in his parents' basement and… Yeah, I just hate him… I wouldn't touch that jerk with a ten foot pole… even if someone bribed me with a thousand pairs of designer shoes… I'd be too afraid to catch some trailer trash disease or something." Jackie cackled at that, making Hyde's jaw clench as he made his way downstairs. _

"_Cunt," he mumbled to himself. Fuck her. She was just pissed that he dumped her for that dirty stripper and would rather fuck every single one of those drugged-out looking whores than her. Fucking bitch. As Hyde stepped into his room, his chest hurting, Carrie reached out to him, naked from his bed. _

"_Come on, baby. What took you so long?"_

"_Get your clothes on. We're gettin' the hell outta here." Hyde grabbed his wallet and keys and put on his coat while his pseudo-girlfriend gave him a strange look._

"_Hyde?"_

"_Now, Carrie!" he shouted, feeling his throat go dry and his heart begin to pound painfully in his chest. As Hyde looked around his small basement room, he started to feel like the loser trash that Jackie thought he was and wondered if she had ever really loved him or if the rich little cunt had just been slumming it for kicks. Either way, he was over it, ready to get as far away from that conceited bitch as he could before he blew up and ruined Thanksgiving for Mrs. Forman. _

_Feeling strangely deflated, Hyde glanced over at the confused and naked girl modestly hiding behind a pillow on his bed. "Come on, let's just go," he said more softly. "I'll go to your family's thing now, if you want."_

"_No, it's okay. Let's just go back to my dorm." With a mischievous smirk, the brunette got off his bed and pressed her nude body flush against his clothed one, closing her eyes when he grabbed her ass and tugged her closer. "We can finish what we started."_

_Hyde simply stared straight ahead, deep in thought, as she kissed and sucked on his neck. "So… what Carrie…you're too embarrassed to bring me to meet your family? I'm not good enough?"_

"_No. I just know that my daddy isn't gonna approve if he catches you fucking me under his roof." Grinning, she reached around to squeeze his ass. "And the way you make me scream, we'll get caught for sure."_

_Hyde felt his already stiff dick jump in his jeans. "So that's it? That's what you want from me? My dick?"_

_The girl grimaced. "No. I thought we were gonna…Hyde, what is up with you right now? One minute you're ready to go and the next you're acting like I disgust you." She stopped and seemed to be waiting for some sort of denial but all he gave her was a scowl, prompting a frustrated sigh out of her. "Fine. I'll just go."_

"_No. You wanna get fucked? Let's fuck." Being anything but gentle, Hyde grabbed a chunk of his date's hair and yanked her head back to face him, intrigued by her reaction. "Is this how you like it, Carrie? Huh? Rough?" She nodded, her eyes glazed over with lust as he spun her around and forced her down over his dresser, dropping his pants and driving into her without mercy, setting a hard, rapid pace and grunting loudly as he ruthlessly fucked her. "You know what I think, Carrie?" he managed through heavy breath, taking another fistful of her hair, thoroughly enjoying the sharp whimper that left her lips as he jerked her head backwards. "I think you don't want your rich little daddy seeing who you like to get fucked BY." With each violent thrust, Hyde's finale drew closer but it was when he heard the familiar looking brunette curse and scream out his name—Steven!—and felt her body throb around him in orgasm, that he came harder than he had in a long time. _

_Afterwards, Hyde drove the girl home in silence and never called her again, never again craving the one thing she offered: another chance…_

* * *

Hyde looked around the fancy lobby of the news station and made a face, mostly at himself. He hadn't thought about Carrie in years, but maturity suddenly brought a pang of guilt. There was no doubt that he treated the girl like shit on that last day but she reminded him too much of Jackie and unfortunately, for that, she also received the brunt of Jackie's anger. And although the girl seemed to really enjoy his particular brand of treatment, it was why he never called her again—that and the fact that he had lost his craving for Jackie. It was all blondes and redheads from that day forward, no mouthy brunette stood a chance. 

Speaking of… "You ready?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Hyde stood up and smirked at Jackie. She was all bundled up with coat, scarf, gloves, and even a little hat—as if it were mid-January. The mouthy brunette looked fucking incredible. "Let's go."

* * *

Parking lot – The El Camino

While the heater slowly warmed them, Hyde sat and watched as Jackie's eyes flashed over every inch of his car. "What's wrong?"

"I just… haven't been in here in… God, five years. I can't believe you still _have_ this car."

Hyde shrugged. "It was a gift. From Leo. What can I say? And I have another car. I've got the Grooves van."

"Wait. Why does Grooves need a van?" Jackie asked as Hyde finally pulled away.

"Well, that's what WB was wondering. See, a couple of years ago, Kelso and I just thought it would be funny if WB bought the store a van. I forget why that would be funny but anyway, he did." Hyde's mischievous grin fell as he glanced over at Jackie. "But now I'm stuck doing chain runs since I'm the only one with a fucking van. So I guess it's not really that funny anymore." Giving him a poke, Jackie giggled and settled into her seat, content to watch him as he drove. "So where are we going?" he asked her. "Visiting hours doesn't start 'til six."

"Your place."

* * *

Hyde's Apartment – 44 minutes later

3:04 pm

The front door swung open and Hyde tipped his head casually, directing his ex-girlfriend inside with a barely visible smirk. It brought a strange feeling to his gut to see her step into his domain, the place he practically shared with another girl. Pieces and parts of Jessica were peppered throughout the space and up until now, Hyde hadn't noticed just how much. There was evidence of the girl hidden in every corner and noticing before even him was Jackie. As he watched her pick up Vogue's October issue, Hyde realized that his girlfriend was a clever chick; she had marked him, staked her claim without him even knowing it—maybe for this very occasion.

The beautiful girl invading Jessica's territory arched her brow and set down the magazine. "It's nice, Steven. It's a little messy, though…" she commented with what Hyde interpreted as a flirtatious grin, with telling eyes that lingered on him until she coyly turned away and gave his heart an extra thump. "But I like it. It's bigger than I thought it would be…made for two," she added as an afterthought as she lifted a pillow off the couch and took a seat. "So…Does Jessica_ live_ with you?"

Still standing by the door, Hyde cleared his throat. "No. She's just… always here."

"Oh." Then something on the television hutch straight ahead caught Jackie's eye and affected her in an unexpected way. It was a small framed picture of Hyde in a suit, sitting on the steps of a church with Jessica between his legs. To Jackie, they looked happy, and although she knew that his happiness should be hers, she felt a stab of anger. The selfish voice in the back of her brain told her that Jessica was enjoying the fruits of her labor. She had invested everything in him, taken so much shit, shed so many tears, paid her dues in pain and heartbreak, and this strawberry-blonde, who smiled sweetly back at her, got the prize, having no idea what it took to get him there, clueless to the torture she had endured that allowed this girl to be held so lovingly by him on those steps. Jackie closed her eyes and shook off the terrible thoughts. He wasn't hers and she didn't want him to be; she had her own life now. These were just remnants of the old feelings that plagued her on occasion, coming back to fuck her up temporarily. They would disappear any day now; she was sure of it.

"You want a drink?" he asked, finally stepping closer into the room and glancing briefly at the picture that Jackie had obviously noticed. "I think I might have soda."

"No." Forgetting all about the picture and angry thoughts, Jackie got up and stepped toward Hyde, pinching his shirt between her fingers when she reached him. "Okay. Here's what we're gonna do. You," she pointed, "are going to get out of these wet clothes, take a hot shower and then put on something clean and dry while I…go get you something to eat. Sound good?"

God, it didn't sound good, it sounded fucking great. Hyde felt warmer already. He had forgotten how much this girl felt like home, probably because she was the first to really define it for him. Although the Forman's gave him a room and a bed when he was young, Jackie was the first to make those things warm and comfortable. But there was one problem. "You know what? No, Jackie. It's really bad out there and you don't know my car."

"I've driven it before, Steven. I'm a big girl."

Taking a moment, Hyde thought through it. The weather was terrible and the streets were flooded; he could tell her no again, but there was one thing about the stubborn female who stood with furrowed brows before him: she never listened to shit he said. "Fine, just be careful, okay. Go to McDonalds. It's closer."

"I'll go to Fatso Burger. You hate McDonalds." Grinning knowingly, Hyde shook his head and decided that Jackie hadn't changed at all; she was the same pain the ass that had been driving him nuts since elementary school. "I'll be fine. Go get warm," she insisted, pushing his frozen body toward the hallway. "Go."

"Okay. Oh," he said, stopping and turning around. "Go in my room. My wallet's on my dresser. I'm buying."

"Deal. Now, go get warm." With a final shove, Hyde headed into his bathroom and began to peel off his iced over clothes. The day's events replayed in his mind as he turned on the water, twisting the knob until steam began to rise, and with a pull, the loud hiss of his shower sounded off. Still shivering, Hyde stepped inside and nearly screamed at the contrast of scalding hot water against his freezing skin.

"Shit," he grumbled, lowering the temperature until he felt it: relief. God, that pain in the ass was right: a hot shower was what he needed. It practically made him want to come right there as he melted beneath it. No longer focused on the cold, Hyde realized how tired and hungry he was, and the knowledge that Jackie was out there getting him food made him breathe out and drop his head back in gratitude. She was like a fucking angel; one he didn't deserve.

While he washed up and shifted his concerns over to Leo, Jackie was in his room, digging through his wallet.

"Steven, you moron, you have _two_ dollars," she mumbled to herself. After searching a few more small pockets, all she found was his driver's license, a couple of credit cards and the single square of a black and white photo strip—another picture of him and Jessica. He was frowning at the camera while she smiled exuberantly. Jackie let out a small chuckle. "Oh, Steven. You never change, do you, baby?" Putting his wallet down, Jackie noticed the closet and decided that she would lay out some warm-weather clothes for him before she left, seeing that his Dickies jacket was soaked all the way through.

Jackie sifted through his clothes. "T-shirt, t-shirt, t-shirt. Oh, wow. You have suits. Nice ones." She came across a black hooded sweatshirt and pulled it out, tossing it back on the bed that she was choosing to ignore. At her feet were stacks of boxes. Most were small, brown moving boxes but the one on the bottom was light orange and she recognized it. Looking around nervously, Jackie dropped to her knees and quickly pulled it out. It used to hold his old keepsakes, mostly just his birth certificate, tons of packages of rolling papers and other circle paraphernalia along with a few pictures.

He was a simple guy.

Jackie's heart was pounding furiously. Hyde would kill her if he found out what she was doing, but she had to look—she was Jackie freakin' Burkhart and it was in her nature. There had, at one time, been a couple of pictures of her in that box, pictures he never returned and God, she just _had_ to know. Off came the lid as she began to sort through all the random items inside: a newspaper clipping about Grooves, several record covers (Jimi Hendrix, Judas Priest, Zeppelin IV), some bills, the title to the El Camino, a picture of Eric and Donna, a picture of Hyde, Kelso and Fez, a picture of Kitty, and a picture of Hyde with WB. _None of her_. Why that upset her, she wasn't sure but all Jackie could imagine was that Hyde had thrown them away sometime in the two years after their break-up, during his peak hatred for her.

Jackie was just about to close up the box when something yellow caught her eye. Frantically pulling everything back out, she saw something she hadn't noticed before: a false bottom, a piece of cardboard that covered the base and when she pulled it up, her heart came alive—almost a dozen pictures of her littered its floor. Looking though the stack of photos, Jackie could only imagine that he was hiding them from Jessica. Because if she were Jessica, and found these pictures, they would be in the trash so fast—no, in a burning trash can so fast—that he wouldn't even know what happened.

With a giddy smile, Jackie flipped through the photographs, some of her and Hyde together and some of her alone. She hadn't seen some of them in over five years and hadn't looked at her own stack of Steven photos in almost two. They were so young looking, so far away in time, so happy. Oh God, so high, she thought, giggling as she flipped to the one of her lying atop Hyde on the basement couch, both red eyed and watching TV. Fez had taken it, she knew, because the next picture was the same shot except focused mostly on her ass, and of course, Hyde kept it.

"Oh my God." Jackie looked at her watch. She needed to put the box back. He wasn't one to take long showers and she needed to get his food. Putting everything back into place the best she could, Jackie put the lid back on and shoved it back how she found it. In a race with time, she quickly found her purse, grabbed his car keys and ran out the door.

* * *

Forty-seven minutes later. 4:02 pm

_Hyde is sitting alone on his couch watching the video for "Oh Sherrie" by Steve Perry on MTV._

Hyde couldn't help but cringe. Why did the hell did he watch this crap, he wondered. He hated half the music but the shit was so damn addicting. And he must have had like 30 stations at his disposal, yet he continued to watch this one as he sat and pondered over two things: how Steve Perry got hot chicks while being such a complete douche and where in the hell was Jackie? It had been over an hour since he got in the shower and he was beginning to worry.

A second later, he heard a click and looked over to find her open his front door with a smile. "Hey."

"Jackie, what the hell," Hyde nearly shouted as he shot up from the couch. "Where've you been? I was worried!"

Jackie's face lit up. "You were worried about me?"

Re-thinking what he had just said, Hyde backtracked. "No. I was… worried about my car."

"Mmm-hmm. Whatever, Steven," she said, rolling her eyes and slipping around him.

"No, see, I figured the rain must have gotten above three feet, leaving you fully submerged and my car stuck god knows where. And I need my car, Jackie."

The brunette's eyes narrowed at his jab about her height. "Just for that, Steven Hyde, _you_ don't get a cheeseburger," she told him with a snide smile as she took a seat on the couch. "They're both mine."

Hyde sat down next to her. "You can't do that. I paid for them."

"No…**I** paid for them. _You_ had two dollars," Jackie pointed out while she pulled all of their food out of the white Fatso Burger bag, setting everything down on the coffee table and taking a sip of her Diet Tab. "Smells good, doesn't it?"

Now, it was Hyde's turn to narrow his eyes. He propped his elbow onto the arm of the couch and rested his head on his balled up fist, focusing a seething glare on the TV. "Whatever. I wasn't hungry anyway."

"Fine. More for me." Unwrapping the yellow paper from her burger, Jackie prepared to take a bite when guilt suddenly overcame her. She looked at Hyde and he glanced at her, then at the food in her hand before turning his pout back to MTV. "Oh fine. Here," she conceded, thrusting his double burger at him before pulling her hand back. "Wait. Say you're sorry, first."

"No."

"Steven!"

"No way." There was a brief stare down until Jackie shoved the hamburger at Hyde.

He snatched it out of her hand victoriously. "This isn't over," she informed him.

"And it never will be, sweetheart," Hyde said with a smirk before taking a taunting bite from his sandwich. "Oh, could you uh, pass me some of those little ketchup packets for my fries?"

Jackie smiled. "Sure," she said sweetly as she grabbed all three ketchup packets and, never taking her eyes off him, tossed them behind her back toward the kitchen. "There you go."

"Real cute, Jackie." Jackie popped one his fries into her mouth and smiled.

"Thank you."

* * *

An Old School Half-Circle

51 minutes later – 4:56 pm

_The video for Faithfully by Journey plays on Hyde's television but Jackie and Hyde aren't paying much attention to the TV anymore, only each other. Jackie is on the floor, sitting Indian style between Hyde's spread legs as he leans back against the couch._

_Highway run  
Into the midnight sun  
Wheels go round and round  
You're on my mind_

Jackie, already higher than she could ever remember being, raised their second joint. "To Leo," she exclaimed as she took a drag and passed.

Hyde smiled, unable to believe how god damn beautiful she was. "To Leo," he slurred and in a moment of real seriousness or maybe it was high seriousness—he couldn't tell—he held out the joint in front of Jackie and held it there. "Okay. I know your little re-virginized lungs have been overloaded a lot lately, baby, but you've been hanging out with me and… Well, I'm not sorry. Smoke up." Hyde grinned as she took it from his hand. Watching a goody-two-shoes get baked was always the highlight of any circle. It was too bad he could never talk Jessica into it.

_Restless hearts  
Sleep alone tonight  
Sendin' all my love  
Along the wire_

With a smile, Jackie reached out and once again pinched Hyde's sweatshirt between her fingers. "Mm. I like this song, Steven."

Hyde grinned back. "I hate this song and I hate this band." The two of them stared at each other briefly before breaking down into laughter.

"Well, they are all ugly," Jackie reasoned, swallowing hard at the nervousness that was collecting in her throat. He was looking straight at her, blue eyes piercing through her indifferent facade.

"That has nothing to do with it, Jackie," he said softly. "Keith Richards and Mick Jagger are hideous but they make sweet music, baby."

"I'm not sure if that's such a great trade-off, though—good looks for talent."

_They say that the road  
Ain't no place to start a family  
And right down the line  
It's been you and me_

"Yeah, Mick and Keith must have great parents," Hyde mumbled to himself, finally looking away.

"What?"

"Huh? Oh. Well, after many hours of circle debate, Kelso and I came up with a theory. See, there are three things you can be born with: good looks, brains and great parents. Now, you can have two but never all three. It's just cosmic law. Example - Forman is smart with great parents, Donna is smart with good looks, Kelso has great parents with good looks. My girlfriend, she's got brains and looks but an asshole father. Oh, and a complete skank for a sister that I can't stand," Hyde digressed.

_And lovin' a music man  
Ain't always what it's supposed to be  
Oh girl, you stand by me  
I'm forever yours-faithfully_

Jackie thought about it and shrugged her shoulders happily. "Mm. Colin's got all three."

Hyde sneered, "Oh, well isn't that," and then rasberried her.

"Steven," Jackie swatted at his chest, "cut it out. Okay, so what about Fez?" she asked, changing the apparently sore subject of her boyfriend.

Hyde took a hit and handed the joint back to Jackie. "Yeah, that rule doesn't apply to foreigners."

_Circus life  
Under the big top world  
We all need the clowns  
To make us smile_

"Oh… And you and me?"

"Come on."

Jackie smiled. "Yeah." A quick glance at his watch told Hyde that it was one minute to five, one hour until visiting hours at the hospital began. His thoughts returned to Leo but then her small, manicured hand lifted his chin and revealed to him a smile. "Here," she said, handing him the joint.

"Nah, I'm done. I don't wanna be too messed up… You finished?" Jackie nodded and looked down while he stamped the cherry out in an ashtray. Returning his attention to the girl between his legs, something came over him and he reached his arms out to pull her closer. "Hey."

_Through space and time  
Always another show  
Wondering where I am  
Lost without you_

She looked up, somewhat startled at the feeling of his hands pressing down on the small of her back, holding her in place. But what made her more nervous was the intensity in his stare. "What is it, Steven?" she asked quietly.

"Thanks."

"For…"

"For being here." Swallowing hard, Jackie tried to calm her breathing. They were really close and the last time things got this close, she ended up sleeping with him.

_And being apart ain't easy  
On this love affair  
Two strangers learn to  
Fall in love again_

"Um, yeah. No… it's…" She watched him glance slightly downwards and knew immediately that it was her lips he was noticing, which were slightly open and suddenly feeling very dry. Jackie licked them. Oh, crap. That was an invite, wasn't it? Breathe. Wait, don't breathe. She swallowed again and looked at his lips; they moved, but no sound came out. Was it her name he said? Or didn't say.

They both jumped when the phone rang, and Jackie backed up, realizing that her lips were about an inch from his. Hyde's eyes shifted toward the phone but he didn't move and his hands were still caressing her back, a feeling she had missed. And, although she was nervous, Jackie found her eyes begin to burn with tears. Shit. She quickly wiped them away and looked in the direction of the still ringing phone. He wasn't going to answer. This wasn't over.

_I get the joy  
Of rediscovering you  
Oh girl, you stand by me  
I'm forever yours-faithfully_

Then the answering machine picked up and Jackie and Hyde reestablished eye contact upon the sound of her voice. _"Hi, baby. It's me. I'm so sorry about this morning. My dad was bitching at me to go… Steven? Are you there? I called the store but no one answered… I've been thinking about you all day_," Hyde looked down, the first to sever the connection, and closed his eyes._ "…Call me as soon as you get this. I love you, angel. Bye." _Click.It was then that Jackie felt like…Sam: a whore invading some other girl's happy home.

_Faithfully, I'm still yours  
I'm forever yours  
Ever yours-faithfully_

Taking the cue that rested on Hyde's pale face, Jackie backed up and got to her feet, awkwardly taking a seat on the couch. And then, snapping out of his high as best he could, Hyde stood up and grinned in an attempt to ease the tension. "Why don't we just watch the news?" he said, desperate to get the sappy music away from their altered and obviously corrupted brains. "There. The news." Taking a deep breath, Hyde sat down on the other couch, as far from his ex as possible. "That's … safe."

"Yeah… safe." And there they sat, in awkward silence, for over a half an hour until it was time to go…

* * *

Kenosha Medical Center – Intensive Care Unit

6:01 pm

Holding hands, Hyde and Jackie walked slowly into Leo's dark room, lit only by a solitary light fixed above the aging hippie's head. The somewhat ominous beep of a monitor and the loud hush of forced air as it was pumped into Leo's lungs brought it all crashing down for Hyde. His friend looked so old and fragile, almost devoid of life. "What… What am I supposed to say to him, Jackie?"

"I don't know, Steven." Stopping a few feet away, Hyde simply stared at the old man, asleep in what could possibly be his death bed. It was strange to see him without that welcoming smile or his usual scowl of confusion. Anything would've been better than this, he thought to himself. Anything.

"What if he…" Hyde watched intently as Jackie stepped forward and smoothed her hand over Leo's. Craning her neck back, she laid her most loving gaze on the boy whose mental strength used to terrify her; he seemed so nervous suddenly, not at all what she was expecting. He was always the strong one, the bravest amongst them. But today, he was human.

Jackie extended out her hand. "Come on, baby. It's okay," she said softly. "I promise. C'mere." Hyde walked up next to her and looked over her shoulder at his friend, when she suddenly slipped away.

"Wait. Where are you going?"

"To get you a chair," she whispered and grabbed the one closest to her, pulling it around to the other side of the bed. "Sit down, Steven." As he did, Jackie grabbed one for herself and sat down next to him. Taking Hyde's hand, she smiled and interlaced her fingers with his. "Just talk to him, Steven. Remind him of something funny. Something he liked."

"Like what?" he asked her, his eyes searching hers for the answer. "I don't…" Jackie grinned sweetly and looked over at Leo before resting her head on the seat back behind her. Squeezing Hyde's warm hand, she proceeded to tell a slumbering Leo about the time that Kelso organized a 'Dine and Dash'…

* * *

One hour later…

_Jackie is sitting on her same chair with her legs draped over Hyde's as he stands at the foot of Leo's bed, watching as a nurse changes out one of his IV bags._

"So you don't know?"

"Not yet. People can be in comas for days, weeks, months even, but it's usually only a couple of days. His body's been though a major trauma today and we're honestly just hoping he makes it through the night. And then we'll see about tomorrow." The woman gave him a sympathetic smile and walked out, leaving Hyde feeling hopeless.

Jackie leapt off her chair and coiled her arms tightly around Hyde's neck. "Steven." Closing his eyes, Hyde pulled her body nearer to his and burrowed his face deep into her hair. Not much could be heard from the outside world, but hidden beneath the beeps and hushes of the room were the soothing whispers that Jackie breathed tenderly into his ear, making Hyde subconsciously fall in love with her all over again. "Don't listen to her, Steven. Don't listen to any of them. It's gonna be perfect. All of it. One day soon. I promise," she told him as she started to cry. "Please don't be sad, baby." Tearful kisses covered his ear and his cheek, finally finding his mouth, teaching both that a kiss really can make the world, and all its complications, disappear.

Hyde felt her soft lips meet his and caught a puff of her hot breath along with a small taste of the heat hidden beneath. Another kiss and she parted her lips, giving him what he had been seeking all along: relief. No hot shower could compare to her warmth, no dry sweatshirt, no Fatso burger. She was it, and they both got lost in the feeling, their tongues brushing deeper and deeper with each kiss, until they suddenly realized where they were and pulled away, grinning, almost shyly. "Come here," Hyde muttered a few moments later, taking her hand. He sat down in his chair and pulled her onto his lap, letting her curl into him as he placed her legs over the chair beside them. "What do you wanna do?"

"Just sit with you," she responded quietly, grazing her fingers over the scars on his right hand. It was apparent, what she was thinking about, and Hyde glanced over at the small scar on her temple in response, giving the evidence of their second biggest secret a feather-light kiss…

* * *

_(June 18, 1982 – Point Place, Wisconsin – 8:16 pm)_

_A violent shove sent Jackie's tiny body flying backwards into the second hand couch that furnished her small living room and as her back slammed into the hard wood that made up its arm, the lack of remorse in his eyes came into view. But it was when his body sunk down over hers that she got really scared and burst into tears. "Get off me!" she screamed, trying to keep his hands away from the zipper of her jeans._

"_Oh come on, Jackie. I thought you liked it guys who treat you like shit. I'll bet you like it rough, too, don't you?"_

"_NO! GET OFF ME!!" Jackie pushed and shoved but his weight wouldn't budge. Thankfully, and just in time, something Donna taught her resurfaced to the front of her mind._

"_I knew you were a whore…AHHH!" The jerk grabbed at his balls and winced painfully as he fell to the floor, allowing Jackie a chance to get up and run into the bedroom. Her heart was pounding as she slammed the door, locked it and rushed around her dresser. She pushed and pushed but it, too, wouldn't budge. She just wasn't strong enough and right then, she knew that having a body built like Donna's had its uses. Swearing she would never put down her big-boned friend again, Jackie ran to her bed's side table in tears and picked up the phone, dialing Donna._

"_Come on!" she cried out, glancing quickly at the door. "Come on, come on, come on." But it just kept ringing. She hung up and called Eric's house. Nothing. "Damn it!" Then she dialed Fez. "Fez! Oh my God, Fez, I need you to…No, wait, listen Fez…" The foreigner had hung up, swearing to call her back; he was with a girl. Jackie began to cry hysterically. Curling into a ball on the floor, she knew who she really wanted to call but wasn't sure he would come and then there was Kelso, but he was all the way in Chicago. _

_Suddenly, there was a pounding on her door. "What do you think, you cheating little slut? I can't knock down a door?"_

"_Go away, Chris! Please, just leave me alone. Please," she sobbed out and reached up into her drawer to grab her phone book. After slithering underneath her bed, Jackie looked up Hyde's phone number and dialed._

_Four blocks away…_

"_Come on, Hyde. We're gonna be late."_

_Hyde straightened up. "It's a bar. You can't be late for a bar, you… moron," he grumbled, crouching back down to look underneath his bed for his keys. "Where the hell did you put 'em?"_

"_YOU had them last," the blonde snapped. "And if you weren't drunk all the time, you'd probably remember that."_

"_You know… you're really starting to…" The phone rang and they both stopped to look over. It rang again. "So are you gonna get that for me or are you just gonna stand there?" Hyde's current fuck-buddy-of-the-month rolled her eyes and picked up the phone._

"_Hello… Yeah… Yeah…" The girl sighed and made a face. "It's for you."_

"_Nooo, really?" Hyde shook his head and stood up. "Who is it, Einstein?"_

"_How the hell should I know? Probably some skank you're sleeping with, who knows."_

"_Probably is," he said with a malicious smirk and snatched the phone from her hand. "Hello?"_

"Steven?"

"_Jackie?"_

"Steven,"_ the brunette sobbed out in short bursts. _"Please, baby. I n…need you. I'm re…really scared."

"_Where are you?"_

"Home,"_ she whispered out just as he heard a male voice shouting followed by a violent crash in the background. _"Steven, help me!" she screamed out.

"_I'll be right there," Hyde shouted and slammed down the phone. "Where the fuck are my keys?!"_

"_I told you, I don't know!"_

"_GOD DAMN IT!" After throwing a few things around in an attempt to locate them, Hyde gave up and ran out his front door toward Jackie's apartment, only a few blocks away. He reached the front door to her building two minutes later and swung it open, rushing inside to find Jackie running down the stairs. At the third step from the bottom, she hurled her body at him and sent them both flying back against the wall. _

"_Steven! Oh, God, baby! Thank you, thank you," she said, securing her arms and legs tightly around his body as she cried into his neck. "I knew you'd come!"_

"_Jackie, what the hell's going on," he asked frantically, peeling her off and setting her down to inspect her, instantly finding a stream of blood running down the right side of her face. His jaw clenched. "Did that fucker hit you?"_

"_No. He just threw the remote control at me and he tried to…" she dragged two fingers over the warm liquid on her face and began to cry harder when she realized what was causing the wrathful expression on Hyde's face._

"_He's fucking dead!" _

"_No, Steven! Don't leave me!" She grabbed his arm for dear life as he took off for her floor. "PLEASE!" _

_Hyde stopped. "Jackie, come here." He pulled her beneath the stairs and up against the wall, lifting her shaking hands over her ears for her. "I want you to stay right here and close your eyes. Don't move until I come back for you, okay?"_

_Jackie nodded as she continued to sob. "I don't want you to get hurt." _

"_I'll be fine," he assured her; cupping her tear-stained cheeks. "Now, come on, Jackie. Close your eyes for me."_

"_Okay," Jackie's wavering voice let out before she took a deep breath and shut her eyelids, letting the intensity in his blue eyes be the image that froze in her mind's eye. "I love you," she mouthed as his lips gently brushed over hers and then… he was gone…_

To Be Continued.

* * *

**A/N2:** I'm not so crazy about this chapter either so please, please review. I really need some input on this one. It would mean the world to me to know what you're thinking. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 – It Feels Like the Beginning**

**A/N: **Thank you for the reviews! This chapter is rated T, BUT I have been told that I should be in the M section since I have some M chapters. Now, to be honest, I sort of don't think my story is M just because I think my sex scenes are mild and rare, but that's me. So, what do you guys think? Am I really M? If enough people think so, I will move. If not, I'll just stay. It won't bother me either way, so please be honest. Thanks. And this chap is basically going to give you a lot of different points of view, so I hope it doesn't piss people off. Although, you all seemed to accept chapter six okay so I have faith in you guys…

* * *

**Previously:**

"What do you wanna do?"

"Just sit with you," she responded quietly, grazing her fingers over the scars on his right hand. It was apparent, what she was thinking about, and Hyde glanced over at the small scar on her temple in response, giving the evidence of their second biggest secret a feather-light kiss…

* * *

_January 7, 1978 _

"_Ste-ven. Are you still mad at me?" Hyde was ahead of her, by about three feet, as he moved briskly into the Forman living room._

"_Yes!"_

"_Oh, baby," Jackie tried to pout but couldn't restrain her giggle as she dropped her coat onto Red's tacky green chair. "I swear I didn't know they were gonna take such a liking to you."_

_Plopping down on the couch, Hyde maintained his scowl and crossed his arms over his chest, moving only to grab the remote before returning to his angry position. "There were ten other flippers there, Jackie."_

"_I know," she said soothingly, sitting down beside him. "But none of the other boys were as cute as you."_

"_They were all twelve!"_

"_Oh, my poor Steven…" she purred, leaning in and taking a nip at his ear. "Let me make it up to you, Puddin' Pop."_

"_No." Hyde bucked his shoulder and moved his head. "I don't want to. I'm tired. If I'd have known I had to wake up at five in the damn morning for that crap, I would have never agreed to it."_

"_But I asked so nicely," Jackie reminded him with a soft kiss for his neck._

"_Well then just go back to being a bossy pain in the ass and** I'll** go back to being pissed off about it."_

"_No, Steven. Now, be nice… I'm trying to tell you that I REALLY do appreciate it," she hinted again, laying several kisses under his jaw and dragging her hand over the bulge in his jeans. "You were so cute with your little spatula and your mean, angry face."_

"_Quit it. Come on," Hyde practically begged, sincere as he looked at her. "I'm really… really beat, Jackie. I was up 'til two o'clock last night." _

"_Oh, c'mere, baby." Taking pity on him, Jackie eased his head onto her shoulder, feeling immediately the weight of his body as it sunk down against hers. A smile graced her lips at the thought of her usually dirty-minded boyfriend actually choosing to cuddle over a roll in his Spiderman sheets. But he was tired and worn from the demanding pancake breakfast and as much as he had complained privately, he did nothing at all to embarrass her. And she loved him that much more for it._

"_Thank you for going with me, Steven," she said, tousling his hair gently._

"_You can thank me when I wake up," Hyde mumbled softly, making Jackie look down to find that his eyes were already closed. And then, as if to signal his descent into sleep, he tightened his hold around her waist only to relax it again, not saying another word for the next two hours as Jackie watched 'Poseidon Adventure' and snuggled up with the grumpiest, sweetest pancake flipper in all of Wisconsin…_

**November 5, 1984 – 7:36 pm**

**Kenosha Medical Center – ICU**

Still curled in Hyde's lap, Jackie sighed softly, content to just sit and bask in the warm, cozy feelings that his sleeping body evoked. There was the tiniest tingle, a chill, that stung the corners of her jaw and she had to smile in response as she nuzzled her nose into his hair. It smelled good, clean and sweet, like shampoo. Inquisitively moving down to his temple, Jackie immersed herself in the fresh, soapy scent of his skin and grinned blissfully with each breath she took. God help her, the temptation to taste him was excruciating but Jackie resisted, despite herself, and instead tucked his head beneath her chin and held him tightly to her shoulder.

From her skewed vantage point, Jackie studied his every feature, starting with his eyelashes, down to the tip of his nose and then to his lips. She wondered how after all those volatile years apart, through all of the hate and pain, they still wound up huddled together in a tiny chair, hanging on to each other as if not a single minute had passed. It was a crazy world, and an amazing one, all at the same time.

Oddly enough, it made the petite brunette feel like a gallant war veteran, having dragged her battle buddy through mud and gunfire for nearly five years, stumbling and falling time after time as he seemed to sabotage her every move. And now, here they were, lying on the edge of a quiet river, resting in each other's arms, battle worn and too tired to continue the fight, just ready to come back home. Amused with herself, Jackie smiled; she liked the idea of 'Jackie Burkhart—War Hero'. It made her sound strong and courageous, qualities she secretly felt she lacked. The corners of her mouth turned up into a quirky smile at the thought and she hugged her weary companion. Strong and courageous… like him.

Jackie kissed Hyde's forehead and he suddenly shifted in the seat, pressing his body even closer to hers and nuzzling his face deeper into the crevice of her neck. "Hey, Jess," he rasped quietly, tickling her neck with his breath.

"It's Jackie," she corrected flatly, feeling like the biggest fool on the planet. But it became apparent that he was barely awake when he raised his head from her shoulder and squinted at her blearily.

A moment passed and he gave her a drowsy smile. "Hey."

"Hey," she nearly whispered, unsure why she was feeling so disappointed by his mistake.

"How's Leo doin'?"

"The same." Nodding, Hyde squeezed her lightly and then relaxed his arms again, making Jackie's face soften at the familiar gesture.

Though, Hyde didn't seem to notice as he searched the room for a clock. "How long was I out?"

"About twenty minutes," she answered, wanting to laugh at the confused expression that plagued his face. "Steven, what's wrong?"

"Well," He absentmindedly rubbed his index and middle finger over his bottom lip and then looked at her sincerely. "Was Kelso just in here with a dog wearing pajamas and a little hat?" With a furrowed brow, Jackie shook her head. "Oh. Good, cause that was weird."

* * *

Emergency Room/Triage Nurse's Station

Same time

"I don't care, missy! If you don't want me calling your mother, who I happen to work with by the way, then you better try! And she told me about you, Miss Snarky Mouth. I mean, _really_! Refusing to bring a pie to Thanksgiving dinner last year! What kind of a daughter are you!"

"Mom, I don't think…"

"Zip it, dumb ass," Red warned his son.

Kitty continued. "You just better tell me where my baby is, right now! Before I tell her what I saw you doing behind the ambulance bay last week!"

In the face of the older woman's frenzied threats, the young RN maintained her composure. "Mrs. Forman. I've already told you. There is no record of a Steven Hyde coming in today."

Growing more and more anxious by the minute, the mother of two began to search behind the nurse's head. "I know he's here… my precious boy! Where is he?"

"Mrs. Forman, maybe you heard the policeman wrong. You know, sometimes when you've been drinking…"

Kitty turned her glare on her daughter-in-law-to-be. "What did you say?"

"Oh, Donna," Eric groaned, shaking his head. "No."

Donna suddenly became nervous. "I'm sorry, I just thought…"

"Just keep your head down, if you know what's good for you," Red interjected in a low voice. "She'll lose interest eventually." Cautiously, Donna and Eric followed Red's lead and lowered their gazes to the floor, feeling the burn of Kitty's tight-lipped death scowl as they stood motionless.

Donna turned her head just slightly toward her fiancé. "Is she still looking?"

"Uh, huh."

As her husband of thirty-four years had predicted, Kitty eventually lost interest and returned her attention to the young girl in white. "I am losing my patience here, little Miss… Miss… Janitor-fondler!"

The nurse gasped. "Mrs. Forman! I don't know what to tell you! He's not here!"

Growing hysterical, Kitty began to point sternly on the counter, shaking with each syllable that exploded off her tongue. "Well, all I know is that my Steven's store collapsed and the police said he was brought into _this_ hospital _this_ morning and you better find him _right now_ before I reach across this counter and rip your little…"

"Oh, no, no. His name wasn't Steven," a young blonde L.P.N. interrupted, "That was his son."

Eric stepped up. "Wait. Whose son?"

"Um… the older guy who they brought in after the shopping center collapse. He has a really cute son… curly hair… sideburns."

The small woman started to hop and clap excitedly. "Yes! Yes! That's my Steven!"

The blonde nurse continued. "Leo! That was his name. Yeah, he got sent up to ICU earlier in the day."

"Oh my God." Following Kitty, the rest of the Forman family, even Red, took off quickly for the elevators and headed straight up to ICU…

* * *

**New York City, NY**

The Crowne Plaza – Two hours earlier

"You comin'?"

Colin looked up. "Yeah. Hang on," he said as the phone rang over and over again in his ear. He'd been calling her all day, at home, at work and all Kevin could tell him was that she was on assignment and he had no idea when she would be back.

"Dude! The game starts in eighteen minutes!" Colin ignored his friend.

"Come on, baby. Pick up the phone," he mumbled to himself before finally hanging up, giving up on ring number fourteen. "Shit." Something told him not to go. Something told him to stay in the room call her so he could apologize for being such a dick the night before. Jackie was more important than a game, or his job, or his idiot friends, although he wasn't sure that agreeing to New York again, going out every night since, and then choosing the Knicks over her was exactly sending that message.

"Dude, she's not there. Let's go." The only boy to never cheat on Jackie shook his head; sick of everybody pulling him in a thousand different directions while the only one who never pressured him sat a thousand miles away, thinking he'd rather attend a basketball game than talk to her. Colin scooted back on the bed and grabbed the remote, flipping the TV on as his friend, Adam, stared at him in disbelief. "Man, what the hell are you doing?"

"Just go without me. I'm gonna stay here."

"You know… Whatever, man. Fine," his friend grumbled and walked out into the hall with others who were waiting. "Just leave him. We'll sell his ticket in the parking lot." They took off, leaving Colin on the bed where he would watch the Knicks game on TV, order room service, try to call his girlfriend six more times and eventually fall asleep in his clothes...

* * *

**Kenosha, WI**

ICU

"You think he'll wake up?" Hyde asked Jackie as he looked over at the bruised and bandaged hippy thoughtfully.

"I don't know," Jackie replied from his lap, studying Leo's sleeping figure, too.

"Hey. I wonder if he even knows what's going on."

"Steven, he never knew what was going on, even when things _weren't_ hitting him in the head." Arching a single brow, Hyde nodded. She had a point. Leo's comatose mind was probably in a hash bar in Amsterdam, enjoying a never-ending circle with his most favorite people, and that probably included him. Hyde smirked. It didn't sound half bad.

Just then, Jackie did something he wasn't expecting. The moment he flipped his eyes back up at hers, she slipped her fingers into his hair and began to rub and scratch at the back of his head. It felt fantastic and his eyelids nearly drifted shut until he caught himself. But she seemed to be drawing him closer as she massaged and he found himself not wanting to stop her. Pulling away, Hyde focused on the ground and swallowed down the lump in his throat. "Jackie, what the hell are you doing?"

"What? I'm just…" With her finger, Jackie lifted Hyde's chin until their eyes met once again. "Steven, look at me. I'm just trying to make you feel better, that's all," she said worriedly. "You used to like when I did that." Hyde nodded. Yeah, he used to like when she did a lot of things, mostly just because she was touching him. Although, he suspected that she was forgetting what it used to lead to, especially when she spread her fingers back through his hair again and whispered to him. "See, Steven? Doesn't that feel good?"

"Uh huh," Hyde let out drowsily as her fingers lulled him into a lustful stupor and drew his head closer. Slowly, after lingering a moment to decide, Hyde found her lips and kissed them softly, closing his eyes as he sought out her warm, saccharine tongue. Just one more, he thought to himself, unaware that she was thinking the exact same thought. Just one… more… kiss…

A sharp gasp startled them. "STEVEN AND JACKIE!"

They parted and looked over. "Mrs. Forman," Hyde blurted out guiltily. "We… um…"

Climbing off of Hyde's lap and quickly moving over to the other chair, Jackie tried to rescue Hyde's stammering mess of an excuse. "He had… a thing."

All Hyde could do was nod frantically and point at his ex. "That's it! She… That's… What she said. A thing."

He grinned charmingly but Kitty only continued to frown, not buying it.

"A thing?"

"Yeah…" Jackie continued. "A thing in his…"

"Mouth?" The older woman asked.

"No… No. In his…eye."

Thinking quickly, Hyde closed one eye. "Right there," he said, pointing. "_Big_ thing."

"Uh huh," Kitty urged them to continue, folding her arms.

"Yeah, and I was leaned over… trying to get it out and… I fell," Jackie said smiling, raising the inflection on her final punch line.

"_In his mouth_?" Kitty asked again, not in any way convinced that the young ex-couple were doing anything other than making out, rather cozily, too, she thought.

Defeated, Hyde sighed. "Please don't say anything, Mrs. Forman."

"Where is your girlfriend, Steven? And _your_ boyfriend, Missy?"

"In Minneapolis." "In New York."

Both their heads were down like two guilty kids being scolded by mom. Hyde could feel his chest constrict. This was bad. Really bad. He honestly didn't want to lose his current girlfriend but for some reason he couldn't seem to keep his mouth off his old one. "Alright, I'm _not_ going to say anything. But you two need to think about what you're doing to those two lovely people who adore you both."

Jackie started to tear-up. It was the first time since arriving at the hospital that she thought of Colin. And she could only imagine how terrible she would feel if the situation were reversed, because although she was pretty used to being cheated on, it still never failed to hurt. But so far, he hadn't been unfaithful and he swore he never would be. And the strange thing was: she believed him. "Thank you, Mrs. Forman," Jackie muttered as Kitty set down her purse and picked up Leo's medical chart.

"Sweetie, don't be upset. Things happen and you learn from them. That's life."

Hearing a sniffle, Hyde looked over and felt it. More guilt. Damn it. "Hey. Jackie."

"Mom, where'd you go? We couldn't find you," Eric asked, walking in with Donna and Red, immediately noticing Jackie and Hyde sitting across the room. "Hey, man. What happened?"

"Jackie, what are you doing here?" Donna asked, walking over and quickly moving her focus to Hyde. "How'd she find out before we did? And what happened to Leo? Is he gonna be alright?"

The guilty pair managed to answer the thousand questions that bombarded them for the next ten minutes, minus the details of how they ran into each other, simply stating that they saw each other at a gas station in Milwaukee. It sounded simple and concise and sure to at least spare them another inquisition. All the while, Mrs. Forman kept to her word. She didn't tell. Although the strange looks from Red, Donna and Eric told them both that things weren't as simple as they wanted them to be.

Kitty looked at her watch. It was eight o'clock: the end of visiting hours. "You know Steven, if you had just told them he was family,we could have stayed longer, past visiting hours. In ICU, visiting hours are all day."

"I know. I figured that out after." As he said it, Hyde noticed Jackie look at him out of the corner of his eye. Wanting to look, but knowing he shouldn't, he kept his eyes down. They had avoided eye contact since the others arrived. But even without looking, Hyde knew the face she was wearing. It was her sympathetic one. The one where her chin quivered slightly and her bottom lip pouted. It was the expression that used to make him uncomfortable, but now, he found it strangely familiar and warm. Unfortunately, he had to ignore it.

"Well come on. We need to go… I left all of our phone numbers with the charge nurse. She's a friend of mine. She'll call us if there's any change," Kitty informed the group, prompting only a solemn nod from Hyde. "Oh, Steven. He'll be fine," she said, grabbing his hands gently. "This is the best hospital in the area… Oh, does Leo have family left? She was asking."

"Um, he's got two cousins, Theo and Larry, and he had a wife. And he has a son. But I don't know where any of them are now." The reason for her question finally hit Hyde. They were his next of kin. And he suddenly felt that same shaking in his chest that only seemed to go away when Jackie hugged him earlier in the day, and that burning in his eyes that stopped when she had kissed him. Suddenly, he felt his adoptive mother wind her arms around his neck in a loving hug and felt it once again go away.

"You're a good boy, Steven," Kitty whispered as she stood on her tip-toes, kissed his cheek and squeezed him with every ounce of love her little body contained before letting go and wiping her eyes. "Come on. We all have to go, now… Do you want us to take Jackie home?"

"No, I'll do it." Ignoring the raised eyebrows and confused stares of his friends, Hyde grabbed Jackie's hand, said goodbye and left. He wasn't in the mood for any shit tonight and everyone seemed to know it, keeping quiet as the two left ahead of the group.

"Do you think they know?" Jackie asked him quietly.

"Yep."

* * *

Channel 4 News Station Parking Lot

The interior of the El Camino

_Jackie and Hyde sit quietly. Both are staring straight ahead and looking extremely jaded._

"Hey Steven?"

"Yeah?"

"You're probably gonna think I'm crazy but… do you wanna go with me to the Illinois State Science and Technology Exposition tomorrow?"

With a confused scowl, Hyde looked over and stared into Jackie's nervously awaiting eyes. Glancing down, he saw that her little hands were wringing furiously in anticipation—the girl was serious, even after what happened.

"Wait. Where?"

"To the science and technology fair in Chicago… I have to go for work." Hyde's eyebrows dipped further; he was even more confused, so Jackie twisted sideways to face him, biting her lip as she tried to figure out how to explain it. "Alright, look. I'm like a scout. Basically, I get sent to events the day prior or a few hours before the actual on-camera reporter goes. You know, to pick out the site or what parts of the event are newsworthy. They usually send a director but for stupid things like county fairs and wine tastings, they send me or Kevin."

"Who the hell's Kevin?"

"My friend, that's not the point. Look. Steven. It'll be fun. I hate going by myself and sometimes Colin comes but he's in New York and Kevin's covering some thing in Kenosha and… I think you'd really like it. There'll be bands." Jackie cringed fretfully. "So will you… will you come?"

"Jackie... Look, I think we need to talk." After a brief pause and a few glances around the car, mostly just to buy time, Hyde fixed a serious gaze on her. "We've gotta stop hanging out."

"What?"

"We shouldn't be hanging around each other."

"Wait, _you_ came to_ me_ today."

"I know. And I'm thinking maybe it was a mistake."

"Oh. I see. Of course. Everything that has to do with me is a mistake for you. Isn't it?"

"Jackie, come on…"

"No, Steven. You're right. Me leaving work and thinking that you would appreciate it was a _huge_ mistake."

"Jackie, cut the shit. You know what I'm talking about."

"No, I don't. What are you talking about, Steven?"

"Halloween! Tonight!!" Hyde shouted, simply to grab her attention but regretted it when she jumped, appearing terrified. "I'm sorry. I just… Come on, Jackie. We screwed up and now we're making a even bigger mess of it. We shouldn't be hanging out together… not after what happened. It's not…We keep… doin' stuff."

"Steven, if this is about those kisses then I'm sorry. You just… you looked so sad and when you're sad, your lips get all… sad and then the second time, I don't know what happened."

"Yeah that was me… Jackie. And that's the problem." Hyde turned his head back toward her and made the tension even more palpable with another potent dose of eye contact. "I like my girlfriend, okay… A lot… So, we need to stop." His pleading eyes watched hers for the reaction that he knew would soon come, although when her bottom lip expanded in a slight pout and her eyes fell, he felt like a complete asshole.

"Fine. You're right… I just thought you'd have fun, that's all. I wasn't trying to hit on you, Steven. I like my boyfriend, too… I just thought we were friends, but I guess you already got all you wanted from me." Clipping the door handle as she broke into tears, Jackie fought to get out, ignoring his hand and his call for her to wait as she struggled with the door. Eventually escaping, the brunette jogged over to her car and fumbled with her keys. "Damn it."

Conflicted, Hyde watched her from the driver's seat of his car, his mind playing a single thought on a loop: _She dropped everything for you_. In a fight against his own instincts, he dropped his head back and shut his eyes. "Damn it… Jackie, wait!"

He jumped out and caught her just as she was about to the shut the door to her silver Pontiac Sunbird. Shoving his body in the way, Hyde knelt down and looked up. "I'll go."

"No. I don't want you to go, now! I wouldn't want you to have to beat me off with a stick, seeing as how slutty and whorey I get when I'm around you! I'm such a tramp, Steven! I just can't control myself!"

"Jackie, cut it out."

"Well, isn't that what you're saying? You may like your little girlfriend, Steven, but I LOVE Colin, and yeah, I messed up but it doesn't mean I'm gonna do it again! And that kiss didn't mean anything so just forget it even happened!"

"Look, all I was saying was that… I mean, come on, Jackie, don't you find any of this strange? We don't talk! We never hang out! We ignored each other for over two years and hated each other for three and now, all of a sudden..."

"I didn't hate you."

"Yes. You did."

"Well, you were a jerk!"

"Yeah, that's my point, Jackie. Why would you wanna hang out with me after all that?"

"You hated me, too."

"Yeah. You're right. I did. And look… I don't hate you anymore. I… I don't feel anything. We don't even know each other. So what the hell is all this about, Jackie? And Halloween… I... I just don't know... what happened there."

"We were drunk and stupid," Jackie replied, feeling strangely hurt by his lack of feelings for her. She may not have loved him anymore, but she wouldn't have said she felt _nothing _either. "It was a mistake."

"And if we get drunk and stupid again?"

"Well then you're just gonna have to control your urges, Steven Hyde, because it's not gonna happen again." Slightly amused, Hyde let out a small, yet irritated, chuckle.

"See, THIS is us. We don't get along, Jackie and we _never_ will." Hyde stood up. "Look. Let's just leave it at that, ok? I don't wanna fight. I'll just… I'll see ya around, Jackie."

"Fine." Hyde wanted to move, but something kept him stationary, something feeling a little like guilt mixed with a faint desire to make things up to her. After everything they'd done, every promise he'd denied her and every tear he knew she had shed, the girl was still right there when he needed her.

Hyde sighed. "Damn it. What's your address?"

"What?"

"Where do you live? I have to pick up the police report and bring it to the insurance company here anyway. I can pick you up at around ten. Is that alright?" God, she was making this difficult, she always did, especially when she looked at him like that and gave him that incredible smile.

"It's perfect."

Hyde knelt back down. "Fine. But I have three rules."

"Okay."

His index finger pointed up. "One – No drinking. Two – No weed…"

"But… those things are all you, Steven."

"Yeah… I'm realizing that. Okay, but the last one is you. Three – no skirts, no low-cut tops and leave the boots at home so… basically, no skin. You're only allowed to wear your standard bulky sweatshirt with jeans. Got it?"

"But, Steven…"

"Jackie."

"Okay." As she attempted to force back a triumphant grin, Jackie scribbled directions to her apartment onto an old receipt she found in her purse. "There. If you hit the Circle K, you've gone too far."

"Fine… ten o'clock. You better be ready." Hyde started to walk away. "And hey, be careful. It's gettin' icy… You want me to follow you?"

"No, I'm good." She watched him smile slightly and get into his car, where they both went their separate ways, until tomorrow…

* * *

**Minneapolis, MN /The Four Seasons Hotel **

One hour later

"What's the matter with _you_?"

A hopeless look on her face, Jessica hung up the phone. "Nothing." There was no way she was talking to her sister, Sera, about Hyde. Sera hated Hyde and Hyde hated Sera. It was a relationship that worked well for _them_, but killed _her_. She sat thinking for a moment and as usual, couldn't help herself; she never could when it came to him. "I hung up on Steven this morning," Jessica blurted out. "And now I can't get a hold of him." Her older sister laughed, infuriating the small blonde. "Why are you laughing? It's not funny."

Sera nodded, never losing her amused grin. "Yes, it is." But Jessica wasn't laughing or smiling. "Oh, come on. He's probably just out getting drunk like last night. The fucking lush."

Jessica stood up and walked toward her only sibling. "Wait, what? He called last night?"

"Yep."

"Well… But… Why didn't you tell me? What did he say?"

Sitting on the bed, Sera nonchalantly picked through Jessica's make-up case, checking every piece for one she liked, one she would probably steal later. "I don't know. I could barely understand him; he was drunk. But I told him the truth." She said, pointing sternly. "That you were downstairs in the bar, surrounded by cute guys, and having a good time _without_ him."

"WHAT!" Jessica shouted, ripping her Sea Shell Pink Lipstick out of her whore of a sister's grubby claw. "BITCH!" Sera stood up and Jessica shoved her backwards into the wall. "Why would you say that?!"

"The jerk probably won't even remember! He was out of it, Jessica!"

Panicking, Jessica began to pace. "Oh my God. That's probably why he called this morning. And I hung up on him. He probably took you seriously," she spat, glaring at her heartless sister, who simply shrugged. "God, I hate you. Just go back to your own fucking room and _stop_ answering my phone!"

"Oh, let him worry a little. See that's the problem, Jess. That's why he dicks you around the way he does. Cause he knows you love him and he's not worried about it. He didn't even care when I said that."

"He didn't?" Jessica stopped and watched as her sister shook her head. "Not at all?"

"Nope. See… You need to _make_ him worry."

Sitting down, the younger blonde considered what her sister was telling her. "No. You know what? I don't _want_ to make him worry. You know what I _want_? I _want_ to go home," she said, covering her face in her hands. "And get the hell away from you."

"Jessica, knock it off."

"No." Jessica looked up. "Why don't you just get the fuck out of here? I'm so sick of you putting him down… _and_ me."

"No… Not you. Only him," Her sister corrected sternly. "It's… Look. I'm tired of watching my twenty-three year old baby sister sit by a phone instead of out having fun. And I'm sick of watching you, _a college graduate_, work as a _waitress_ just so you can stay in some Podunk town with some Podunk guy who won't even admit he loves you after over a year of that shit. I'm sorry but it just pisses me off. He doesn't deserve you. And I swear to God, if you don't move to Chicago, just because _Hyde_ won't go, I will _never_ speak to you again." Grabbing her purse, and the Sea Shell Pink lipstick, Sera stormed out.

"Good! Another reason for me to stay in Point Place!" Jessica screamed out after her. "Bitch." Mentally exhausted, Hyde's girlfriend curled up on her bed, and started to cry as she pulled her pillow down beneath her head. She was ready to go home, crawl under the covers with Hyde and promise to never leave his side again. And just when she thought she would never stop crying, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

_"Hey."_

"Oh, baby! Hi! God, I miss you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry about this morning. I've been calling you all day…"

_"I know. I got your messages."_ God, his voice sounded so good. She wanted nothing more than to just climb though the phone into his lap and kiss him senseless. The thought prompted more tears so she kept silent, not wanting him to think she was being emotional. He hated when she was like that. _"Jess, come on. I can hear you. Why are you crying? What's going on?"_

Fuck it, she thought to herself. Fuck her sister. Fuck this place. Steven Hyde was the only one who ever gave shit about her these days anyway. "I wanna come home, baby. I hate it here. I just want to come home and I want you to hold me, and kiss me and," She wanted so badly to say 'and tell me you love me' but all that would do was piss him off and frustrate her when he refused. And acting like it didn't bother her was becoming more and more difficult. So as usual, she stifled her needs to accommodate his. "I miss you," Jessica said instead and sat for a moment, waiting… and waiting… and waiting… "Steven?"

_"Yeah?"_

"Why aren't you saying anything? You don't miss me?"

_"I didn't say that."_

Her eyes narrowed until they were shut tightly in aggravation, her lips pursed angrily to match. "Yeah. Exactly. You didn't say _anything_." Feeling suddenly pissed, thinking about what her sister had said, the strawberry blonde nearly blew up at his silence but then she had a thought. "Wait. Is this about what my sister said last night? Steven, yeah, I went to the bar last night but there weren't guys all over me and I wasn't having a good…"

_"Jess, it's fine. I don't care about that."_

Suddenly, the aggravation returned. "You don't care?"

_"No. I trust you."_

"Wait. So you just _trust_ me? You don't care at all?"

_"No. I said I don't care, Jess," _He said flippantly, probably because he had to actually repeat himself for her benefit. She hated when he was like this. _"I know you wouldn't cheat."_

"And why wouldn't I?"

_"What?"_

"Well, what makes you so sure I wouldn't cheat?"

_"What the fuck's THAT supposed to mean?"_

Jessica sighed. Shit. "Nothing. Just forget I said anything."

_"No. What the fuck's that supposed to mean, Jess? You wanna fuck around? Go ahead. Have a fucking blast, baby. I'll catch ya later." _

……………………………

_"NO. Wait… Steven."_

"What?" He had almost slammed down the phone. The thought of her cheating made him want to punch the fucking wall in, but the fact that he was a hypocrite didn't get past him either.

_"Why are you mad at me?"_

"I'm _not!"_ Hyde shouted out of frustration. He hated when she got like this, all insecure and clingy, but he didn't want to yell at her either… for two reasons: He really did like her and yelling would only make her cry more, meaning he would never get any sleep tonight. "Look. I don't wanna have this conversation right now, okay? I miss you but… I'm gonna hang up."

_"Wait. Steven, I would never cheat on you. Please don't hang up thinking that. It's just… I don't know. You're acting like you don't love me anymore, like you don't even care about me at all." _

"Why? Because I'm having a bad day and I'm not… Look. I don't think you're gonna cheat, I do care about you and I'm not fucking mad, alright? I'm just…" Taking in a deep breath, Hyde tried to reel in his irritation. "Look. I'm not mad. I'm tired and I had a shit day today, okay? And I just don't feel like dealing with this fucking crap tonight, Jessica."

_"What happened?"_

"I don't… I'll tell you about it tomorrow, okay. Right now I just wanna get some sleep. I have to get up early… I'll talk to you later, alright?"

There was silence on the other end so he patiently waited until she spoke._ "Are we okay?"_

"Yeah. We're fine," Hyde practically grumbled, making them sound anything but fine. And then instead of silence or her usual upbeat response, he heard her start to cry. Real sobbing cries that told him that she was more upset than he thought. She sounded lonely and abandoned and at twenty-five years old, it wasn't a pain he was willing to inflict anymore. This girl would have never survived his younger counterpart, he thought to himself, never. She would have crumbled under the shit those other girls had endured, especially Jackie. He was sure of it. "Baby, please don't cry. Look. I'm sorry, okay. It's not you." It was a lie. He was pissed at her. Pissed at her for hanging up on him and pissed at her for leaving. If she had been home, there would be no confused Jackie shit going on in his head. He would be making out with the little blonde right now, not even thinking about his ex in various sexual positions. But that wasn't the case, and Hyde wanted to scream into the phone for her to get her ass home or else there was a very real chance that he was going to fuck her dark-haired nemesis again. "When are you coming back?"

Her crying had slowed considerably_. "On the 17th. Why?"_

"Well, why can't you just come home on the weekends?"

_"I don't have the money for that."_

"Well I'll pay for it."

_"You will?! Oh, honey!" _Jessica's voice perked up and Hyde smirked. This was nicer to hear._ "I love you so much. Just lemme check with my dad… Okay?" _

Hyde grinned proudly. There… problem solved. He just needed a few doses of his girlfriend and everything would be back to normal. No more Jackie. "Yeah. Alright. Well I'm gonna go. I'll talk to you later."

_"Kay." _Her voice was much more chipper now and his guilt was fading slightly. _"I love you, baby. Kiss. Goodnight." _

"Yeah. Kiss," Hyde repeated self-consciously, knowing that if he didn't, she would continue to say it over and over until he did. "Night." Hanging up, Hyde shook his head and wondered what it was about her that made him want to love her so badly, and what it was that was holding him back from actually doing it…

* * *

**Milwaukee, WI**

Jackie's Apartment – 11:21 pm (One hour later)

After setting down her trusty hairdryer, Jackie posed and smiled softly at her reflection. Perfect.

Absolutely perfect.

Though, there was a brief moment of doubt. She hated those moments. But she couldn't help but wonder as she studied her dark, shiny hair, why she was the only one. His exclusiveness to blondes made her somewhat self conscious, although she would never admit it to another soul. Her whole life people told her she was beautiful—her friends, her teachers, and, most especially, boys—so much so that she felt it with every move she made, every breath she took. Beautiful. When she was a child, women would gush to her mother over her daughter's gorgeous raven hair, stunning features and eyes that a jeweler would set in platinum if it were at all possible. But Steven Hyde, a boy raised in dirt, didn't seem to see it.

Closing her eyes, Jackie saw his face; it was a random memory of him as he sat on the piano bench in the Forman living room. It was a party maybe, she couldn't remember, and he had another blonde on his lap. But out of nowhere, from across the room, he had looked over at her, stilling her heart temporarily as he held a brief disinterested stare and turned back to the girl. With a sick fascination, Jackie watched him smile at his date and raise his hand to gently take a piece of her flaxen hair between his fingers, sliding them down over the light-colored tress as he kissed her. It marked the first time in Jackie's life that she felt unattractive, ugly even.

Opening her eyes, Jackie stared again at her reflection and instead looked at herself through Colin's eyes, smiling at what she saw.

Steven Hyde was wrong.

She _was_ beautiful.

With no more doubts, Jackie worked to untie her robe and made her way into her bedroom, the plushest of all the rooms in her house. It was her sanctuary and the place that she and Colin had spent many lazy afternoons in bed, kissing for hours sometimes and getting each other off.

As Jackie whipped back her covers, guilt began to set in as irony reared its ugly head. The only boy to never cheat on her… besides Fez… she was screwing over, just as she had done to poor Fez. It made her wonder: maybe she _was_ drawn to guys who treated her like shit, to guys who broke her heart and made her feel unwanted. To them, she gave unconditional love and loyalty. To the rest, she gave heartbreak and lies.

What was wrong with her, she wondered as she slipped into her Egyptian cotton sheets and reached up to flip off her lamp. Lying there in the dark, she realized her insecurities were not all Hyde's fault, and her loyalties to him went far beyond love and stupidity. They were buried deep beneath history and experience and not even Colin, as perfect as he was, could unearth and liberate her from their power…

_(June 18, 1982)_

_Jackie's hands remained planted over her ears, causing a tunnel effect that kept her feeling safe and protected and separated from this nightmare. Her eyes were still shut tightly, retaining their snapshot of Hyde's face, and her body was now huddled into the corner under the stairs that Hyde had charged with her safety. He had been right. She was safe here, in her own little cocoon, safe from fear, safe from men who saw her weaknesses as opportunity and safe from her own stupid mistakes. It was peaceful in this place. Quiet. But the seconds ticked past excruciatingly slow and although her ex-boyfriend was probably the strongest man she'd ever known, she still worried for him. _

_Peering up cautiously, Jackie wondered what was happening in her apartment. What was he doing? Was he safe, too? Was he hurt? Then her mind shifted gears… How pissed off was he? In an instant, she sorted through all of all the times she saw him angry and could only recall seeing that look in his eyes once before. "Oh my God." Suddenly, as panic began to set it in, safety felt more like loneliness and Jackie dropped her hands. "Hyde," she called upwards quietly. Remaining still, she glanced around with eyes as wide as a cat's and listened. There was no noise. No sound. None at all. Only darkness and an eerie silence that made the seconds seem like a lifetime. _

_Tears slowly returned. _

"_Steven?" _

_Silence._

"_Please be okay," she whispered to herself. "Please be okay, please be…" BOOM! Startled practically out of her skin, Jackie looked over at the source of the fierce crash. In the spaces between the stairs, she caught a glimpse of her boyfriend of almost four months, bloodied and writhing on the ground, until the sounds of thundering footsteps drew her head upwards. _

"_You fucking cunt!" Looking over again, Jackie caught Chris' angry eyes. "You called HIM?" As she shook her head, only out of disgust that she ever let this asshole into her home and her body, Jackie watched Chris get up and move toward her._

"_Steven!" _

_Hyde wasn't even touching every step on his way down and, once he hit the bottom, wrenched Chris back by his neck, tossing him toward the door and away from Jackie. She was stunned at how unharmed he looked. There was only anger; that was all she saw. And suddenly, Jackie realized that it was Chris' life she needed to pray for, especially when she watched Hyde use his head to get the glass front door open. "Steven!" _

_Running behind them, Jackie pushed through the now cracked door and outside into the parking lot where Hyde was beating the life out of her attacker. "Steven! Calm down!" She flinched at every crunch of every hit and tried like hell to get her ex's attention, but he was too far gone. "Hyde! Stop!" _

"_Jackie, get the hell back inside!"_

"_No!" Through all the chaos, Jackie heard Chris say something in between punches, although she couldn't make it out. But apparently Hyde could, because his rage seemed to grow to a ruthless level as he kicked Chris over onto a prone position and placed his mouth down over the edge of the curb. "Steven, what are you doing?" Hyde stood up and stepped back. "Steven, don't." Jackie began to cry. "Steven! PLEASE!"_

To Be Continued.

* * *

**A/N2: **Thank you for reading and please, please, please review. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 – The Proof is in the Funnel Cake **

**A/N: **Sorry I took so long, you guys. I know a few of you have been waiting for me to update and I'm so sorry. But, I'm back. Please enjoy and Happy New Year!

* * *

**November 6, 1984**

Jackie's Master Bath – 8:44 am

'Our lips are sealed' by the Go-Gos is playing loudly on a small transistor radio.

"_Can you hear them? They talk about us. Telling lies. Well, that's no surprise…"_

Jackie continued to sing and dance in front of the mirror while one hand glossed her lips and the other clipped a lock of hair inside the iron that was retrieved from her linen closet in only the direst of circumstances: the neon pink crimping iron.

There was no point in lying to herself, she figured as she bounced from side to side and glanced at her 4x6 photo of Colin at one of Kelso's parties—she wanted to look cute for Hyde. No, she wanted to look hot. The desire didn't even make her feel guilty inside like it probably should have. There was nothing wrong with wanting to make your ex-boyfriend aware of what he had given up. Right?

Glancing over at Colin again, Jackie smiled and kissed the perfumed air in front of her puckered lips. "It doesn't mean I don't love you, baby," she told him, positive that she could hear his precious voice return the sentiment, making her miss him terribly. Yes, he was a pain in the ass that always traveled, but he was too cute to ignore, she decided as he stared up at her from his perch next to her make-up case. Growling quietly, Jackie picked up the framed picture. "Come home, you jerk!"

And as if her order had traveled the entire distance to the Big Apple, the phone rang. "Oh my God!" Jackie squealed, and ran into her bedroom, scrambling over her bed to pick it up. "Colin?!"

* * *

Hyde's Apartment

Running out of the bathroom, Hyde leaped over his couch and grabbed the phone. He had already spoken to the hospital once this morning to find out that Leo had made it through the night. But dammit, they could call again at any moment. "Hello?"

"_Hey baby."_

With a relieved sigh, Hyde dropped his head back. "Hey babe. What's up? You feelin' better today?" he asked her with irritation in his voice.

"_Yeah,"_ Jessica giggled. _"Sorry about that. Yesterday was just a shit day, you know?"_ Hyde nodded. He knew. But she still had no idea, not about Leo, anyway, and he felt a little guilty about it._ "Steven?"_

"Huh… Oh, hey. I'm gonna be in Chicago today so I was thinking maybe I can hit O'Hare and buy your ticket. What day do you wanna come?"

Jessica sighed_. "That's actually why I called. I'm um, not coming."_

Hyde's face tightened with a scowl. "Why not? Your dad said no?"

"_Actually, baby… I didn't ask him. I just… I don't want to."_

"What?" Slightly confused, he had to squeeze his eyes shut to keep from blowing up at her. Maybe there was a good explanation. "But you… You were the one crying last night that you wanted to come home."

"_I know and I'm sorry. Look. You know I love you. But… you haven't said anything about moving with me and I'm just… I know you're gonna say no and maybe I need to learn to be without you sometimes…Steven?"_

"I didn't say no, yet. And you sound like your fuckin' sister."

"_Steven. Come on, baby. If you care about me, you'll understand."_

"Oh, I care. I think it's _you_ who doesn't give a shit_,"_ Hyde scoffed as he paced in front of his couch. "Cause if you actually did, you'd wanna see me."

"_I do wanna see you. I love you. But don't forget, Steven. It's you who can't say it back."_

Hyde stopped in his tracks, unable to believe what he was hearing, his anger beginning to flare up in the face of one more fucking thing to deal with. "Man, here we fucking go again. Is that what this is about? You think if you play games with me, I'm gonna tell you I love you?"

"_I hate when you're like this."_

"Like what?!"

"_Like an asshole."_

Hyde shook his head and almost laughed into the phone. "Man, Jess, you have no clue about me being an asshole. You have no god damn idea how good you have it. Just ask any one of my ex's. None of 'em got me to say that crap but not a fucking one complained about it as much as you do."

He was pissed but immediately felt guilty for lumping her in with all those stupid chicks before her. None of them meant shit. Well, most didn't. But this girl did. Yeah, she was sensitive but he liked that about her. She was normal and clean and kept him grounded. "Damn it, Jess. I'm…"

"_You told Jackie." _

With those three words, she had somehow stunned him into silence. He hadn't been expecting to hear that name right now, and certainly not from her mouth. But she was right. He had said it...twice. Right then, though, his girlfriend answered his silent admission of guilt.

"_Yeah, see, so don't tell me you haven't told anyone."_ She was on the verge of tears now, but not crying and he hated when she was like this—strong and determined to keep her love for him at bay. It was her sister's doing. _"And you can be the biggest fucking prick in the world to me, Steven. It's not gonna work. I'm still not coming. And if you love me at all… even a little …you'll understand."_

Hyde shook his head and released all guilt while mentally pulling away from her, too. Basically, he turned on the cold voice that he knew would upset her. "You know what, Jess, I gotta go. I'm going somewhere with _Jackie_ today and I wouldn't wanna be late picking her up."

"_Wait… what_?" Hyde hung up the phone and shut his eyes, her distressed voice still ringing in his head. Why did he always do that? Why did his mind always search for the coldest words to say, the ones that he knew would sting the most? It rarely made him feel better. But he didn't have time to feel guilty about her right now. He had enough shit to deal with. So, he stood and grabbed his coat. There was a police report to get and an ex-girlfriend to pick up. And as he was walking out the door, the phone rang, but he ignored it and walked out anyway, trying his best to push away his feelings for Jessica, just for a little while, or at least until she was ready to come to her senses…

* * *

Jackie's Apartment – One Hour Later

"You are _not_ quitting, Colin!"

"_You can't tell me whether or not I can quit my job, Jackie."_

"Oh, yes I can. I'm your girlfriend and if I say no, then it's a no."

She heard him scoff and cringed. He was getting pissed. _"Whatever, Jackie. The only reason I haven't quit yet is you. You're the one that wants all the nice, fancy things in life. But…I don't care if we just live in a regular house with regular things. I kept this fucked up job for you, and now all I get is shit for never being there. So fuck it. I'm doing what** I** want from now on."_

"What?!"

"_You heard me."_

"Colin!" Quickly, the bossy brunette stopped herself. This was never the way to get him to listen. He was stubborn as a mule but gentle persuasion softened him up like butter. "Alright, look. Why don't we talk about it when this trip is done and if you still wanna quit, then… you'll quit." He was quiet for a moment and she waited. "Colin?"

"_Fine. I gotta go."_

"I love you."

"_Yeah…"_ Jackie's eyes widened the moment she heard an abrupt click.

"Hello? Colin?" Looking around her empty bedroom, it took Jackie a moment to realize what had just happened. "Jerk hung up on me!" After regaining dial tone, ready to call the bastard back, the angry brunette heard her doorbell sound off and glanced at the time—ten o'clock, on the dot. "Oh my God."

* * *

Outside Jackie's Front Door – Three Minutes Later

After giving the doorbell one last buzz, an already irritated Hyde turned to walk away. "Fuck this." He hadn't taken two steps when Jackie finally opened her door, out of breath but smiling.

"Steven! Hey!" He turned and upon seeing her, let out a frustrated breath.

"Jackie, what the hell?"

Her face fell, only to be replaced with innocent eyes. "What the hell, what?"

"What the hell are you wearing?" He looked down at her feet. "What happened to rule number three?"

Jackie looked down and pointed at her legs. "I obeyed rule number three! You said no skin and there is _no_ skin here, Steven!"

He shook his head. Man, he knew she wasn't gonna listen. "I said no boots, too, Jackie."

"You said no boots because of my legs, Steven. You know, the ones you can't stop _staring_ at?" His eyes narrowed and she smirked knowingly before continuing. "Anyway, I figure I can wear these boots since I'm wearing pants. Hello! Plus, these aren't even the same boots. These ones are _black_."

"Those aren't pants. Those are tights," he argued, pointing now at the black material on her legs.

"They're _stretch_ pants."

"Do they _stretch_?" he asked sarcastically, amused at her liberal definition of what were clearly skintight tights.

With a glare to match his, Jackie pinched some of the taut material between her fingers and pulled. Snap! "Yep," she shouted with a triumphant grin. "They stretch!"

"Oh well, good cause for a second there I thought you might have painted those on… And what the hell is this," he asked, fingering the tiny strip of black material slung over her shoulder, and then the baggy grey fleece that she wore over it, that hung far off her shoulder. "Did you cut the neck out?"

With a sad glower, she adjusted her Flashdance inspired sweatshirt. "It's a baggy sweatshirt, like you said," she pouted. "I did everything you asked, Steven." Her big, sad doe eyes were looking up at him now and Hyde could only sigh the rest of his frustrations out. Damn it. How in the hell was she making him feel bad already? He hated making her look and feel that way. Years of doing it had drained him entirely of the desire. She just… She looked beautiful, and he didn't want her to.

"Fine. Let's just go," he finally said, softening his tone. "It's cold out. Grab your coat."

* * *

Outside in the Parking Lot

"Oh my God, Steven! It's beautiful out here!"

Looking above at the crisp blue sky as they walked, all Hyde could do was nod. It was nice to finally see the sun, he had to admit. He wasn't missing the rain today. And apparently, neither was Jackie. "It's freezing, though," he heard she add beneath her visible breath as she cuddled her thick coat.

"Well, come on." Hyde directed her toward a newer looking white van that had the word 'Grooves' printed on the side and unlocked the passenger-side door for her. "Get in. I'll turn the heat on." Her brow scrunched in confusion when she stopped in front of him.

"Where's your car? And when did you get this?"

"Uh, at home, and I already told you… last year. Kelso dared me to hit W.B. up for a van. Remember?" Jackie nodded, remembering bits of their conversation from the night before. "I figured we'd take this. My car's too low. The engine keeps stalling with all the flooding." She nodded and, with an expectant look, just continued to stare at him, glancing once at the car door.

He stared back until his flat affect turned into a slight scowl. "What?"

"Aren't you gonna open the door for me?"

"This isn't a date, Jackie."

"Well, after what happened last week, a gentleman would open the door."

Hyde smirked, amused at the mention. "Jackie. If I was a gentleman, last week wouldn't have happened," he replied, sharply opening the door and walking away. "Now, get in."

Her eyes narrowed. The frustration and anger that he could still invoke in her was astounding, and what pissed her off more than anything was that he knew it. "Jerk."

* * *

Two hours later

Chicago, Illinois. I-41 South. Lake Shore Drive

"Let's go to bed" by the Cure plays from the van's cassette player.

_Let me take your hands  
I'm shaking like milk… _

"Steven, look," Jackie called out, pointing to Hyde's left and making him briefly take in the sight of one of Lake Michigan's harbors. Docked in it were several large cruise liners. "You think one of those is the one from Halloween?"

Hyde shrugged. "Maybe. That exit back there was for Montrose Harbor. That's where it was."

"Hmm," was her only response as they refrained from further discussion, both able to recall every minute of their drunken journey together through the dark ship. But Jackie had to smile despite the awkwardness they were both feeling. A part of her didn't regret a thing. In fact, as the sun's glare blinded her eyes and warmed her cheeks, she could recall a few fond moments in his strong arms - cramped together inside the small spider hole – their tryst behind the surgical torture cage - straddling him while he carried her down that dark, narrow corridor - kissing him at their table - and sneaking yet another kiss down the dark exit tunnel – it all seemed worth the mental anguish that followed since that night.

All of those thoughts made Jackie turn away and smile softly at her own reflection. It all seemed so harmless now. All they had done was flirt a little in the midst of severe drunkenness, kissing twice when they had taken their flirtation and attraction to each other a bit too far.

_The two of us together again  
But it's just the same  
A stupid game…_

"Check it out," Hyde uttered, ominously interrupting her rather pleasant thoughts. Quickly, Jackie glanced over at him and then followed his eye line directly to her one o'clock, where she found the architecturally brilliant facade of the Chicago Hilton.

"Oh… yeah," she quietly commented as they both watched the hotel pass them by. Maybe not _that_ harmless. So, with a sudden look of irritation, aimed directly at her ex, Jackie reached out and raised the volume of the music, hoping to suppress any more reminders.

_But I don't care, if you don't  
And I don't feel, if you don't  
And I don't want it, if you don't  
And I won't say it, if you won't say it first…_

"Hey, Jackie," Hyde yelled over the music, squinting as the noontime sun leveled overhead and illuminated the wet road before them. "Go in the glove compartment and get my sunglasses for me."

Opening it, Jackie reached inside and pulled out something she hadn't seen in what felt like a million years: his sunglasses. Holy Crap. They were in perfect condition, too, with not a scratch on them. She couldn't believe it. And while she continued to stare at the tinted lenses that had frustrated the shit out of her for years, Hyde's hand stole them away. "Thanks."

Looking over, Jackie was stunned backwards by about an inch when he slipped them on and glanced at her. Hyde, though, was only confused by the strange expression she was donning. He looked at the road and then back at her again. "What?"

"Nothing," she dazedly liberated from her open mouth. He looked the same. He was 19 and her _sexy_ Puddin' Pop, once again. God, how she had missed him. Taking a deep breath and turning her head, Jackie tried to expel his image from her brain by watching building after building roll by. This wasn't good. Not good at all.

_Doo doo doo doo  
Let's go to bed  
Doo doo doo doo  
Let's go to bed_

* * *

Thirty-five minutes later

Cooke County Fairgrounds – Chicago, Illinois

Hyde began to swear every curse in the book after about the twentieth time around the enormous parking lot. "What the hell is this shit? I've never seen this fucking place this god damn crowded before. Let's just go back."

"No, Steven. We can't. And swearing like a truck driver, or Donna, isn't gonna get us a spot any quicker…Oh my God!" Jackie pointed. "Right there! There's a space!" Hyde sped up and was about to turn into the parking space when, out of nowhere, a small sports car cut them off and beat them to it. "You fucking asshole!" Hyde looked over at her and smirked. "Oh, shut up, Steven."

Turning his attention back to the tiny red Mazerati that had pissed them both off, Hyde put the van into park. "I'll be right back. Stay in the car."

"Steven," she warned. "I have work to do here. I don't have time for you to fight every rich science geek that makes you mad."

"Come on. Just lemme have _one_."

"Fine, but make it quick. And if you get your stupid sweatshirt all dirty with nerd blood, we are not going home so you can change." With a grin, Hyde got out and shut the door. "You reflect on me! Remember that!"

Knock, knock, knock. The moment the skinny twerp behind the wheel saw Hyde gesture for him to get the out of his car, he threw his car in reverse and left. So, with an expression of disappointment, Hyde got back inside the van and pulled in. "Well, that wasn't any fun."

"Oh, Steven, I'm sorry," Jackie soothed, rubbing his arm. "I promise. There'll be thousands of them in there for you to play with."

Hyde shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, okay." Then they both gathered their things and got out, meeting around back.

"Okay, Steven. Here," Jackie said, handing him a Polaroid camera. "You carry that and my bag…"

"What? No. No. You're not my girlfriend. I don't have to carry your crap."

"Steven, do you even carry Jessica's things?"

"No," he sneered.

"Well then shut it. This isn't a girlfriend/boyfriend thing, anyway. This is an employer/employee thing."

"Excuse me?"

Jackie nodded and smiled. "Yeah, you're my employee for the day…except you're not getting paid." Sincerely amused by her audacity, Hyde laughed harder than he'd laughed in a while and handed her back her camera.

"Right. I'll catch ya at the Forman's on Thanksgiving, Jackie," he yelled back as he walked back toward the driver's side of the van and pulled out his keys. "Be sure to bring Lucky Charms with you so I can kick his ass at basketball again."

"Steven, get back here," she demanded, following him. "And stop calling him that! If he finds out, he's gonna kick your ass."

"Yeah," Hyde chuckled. "Let him try."

"Oh…God, Hyde!" she grumbled, stomping her foot and ripping the keys from his hands. "I wish the two of you would stop competing with each other. It's pathetic. Now, please. I need you, today."

"For what? Why the hell did you even bring me here?"

"Well…for lots of reasons. One. I need you to help me carry my things. Steven, I can't carry all this by myself and two, I need you to be my body guard."

"For _what_? You're worried that a bunch of science dweebs are gonna mess with you? I know you, Jackie; you're not scared of anything."

Scanning the lot quickly, Jackie stepped closer to him and lowered her voice. "Look. Last year, Colin had to kick someone's ass for me. And a couple of months ago, at the gun show, Kevin went all windmill on these two guys that kept hassling me…You have to understand. I represent every beautiful girl that wouldn't give these dorks the time of day in high school." Hyde just stared at her pleading eyes and felt a slight twinge in his heart the moment she stepped even closer and nipped at his sweatshirt. "Please. I need you."

Looking at her, he realized that she was fucking impossible to deny. "Fine. Crap. Give me the camera." She gave him the camera and a smile. "And the bag. Let's go." He'd be damned if Colin and the gay guy were gonna have the lead on ass kickings. That was _his_ thing. He was going to have to beat some science geek ass today for sure now.

Jackie slung her purse over her shoulder and grabbed Hyde's hand. "Because you're so sweet, I'll buy you a funnel cake. With extra powdered sugar."

It took him a stubborn moment, but Hyde finally responded. "And a baked potato?"

Jackie smiled. "And a baked potato."

"With all the stuff?"

"With _all _the stuff."

Hyde grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I like those." Snuggling a little closer to him as they walked, Jackie laughed and silently wished he would take his sunglasses off. Too many memories were surfacing with them on. Way too many. But for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to say anything. A little while longer wouldn't hurt anyone…

* * *

Fifteen minutes later – 1:22 pm

The Illinois State Science and Technology Exhibition

No longer hand in hand, Hyde and Jackie walked down the main street inside the fairgrounds, scouting everything around them from hot dog stands to makeshift massage chair and remote control car exhibits that sat underneath large tarps.

"So what is it you have to do here?"

"Huh?" As Hyde grabbed her hand, Jackie looked over and practically fell over at how good he looked. He was smirking subtly, giving her his undivided attention, and she just knew that she was going to have to get those damn sunglasses off of him soon. "Oh. Wait…What?"

"I said what is it you have to here for your job?"

"Oh. Um, I have to choose a site for the five o'clock broadcast. And then I have to meet the anchor at the entrance at four thirty."

Hyde nodded. "Well, that doesn't sound that hard."

"It's not." God, she wanted to hug him. Look away, stupid!

At that, Hyde began to walk faster, pulling her along with him and away from the crowd. "Well then this shouldn't be a problem," he said, dragging her deeper and deeper between two tents.

"Steven, what are you doing?"

"Making this place more tolerable," he answered as he finally got her to a quiet, narrow, tucked away place behind one of the exhibits. "Come here." And pulled her close.

* * *

Eleven minutes later…

With an enormous smile on her face, Jackie emerged from between the two tents, her red and puffy eyes hidden behind Hyde's sunglasses. Following close behind, was Hyde, himself, grinning as well as he stopped next to her and looked around. "Now, that's better," he declared and smirked at his ex.

She nodded and smiled back. "Much better." Then her face fell into a frown. "Hey, I thought rule number something was 'No hittin' it."

"Uh… Oh yeah," Hyde smiled dumbly and coughed. "That was a stupid rule."

"All your rules were stupid."

"They weren't all stupid, Jackie. I was trying to keep us from…" Hyde stopped and perked up. "Hey, do you hear that?"

"What? The Zeppelin?"

Looking at her, he was shocked. He couldn't believe that she was hearing it, too. "Yeah. You can hear it?" Jackie nodded and smiled and to his high mind she was suddenly the coolest, and hottest, chick on earth because she heard Zeppelin in her head, too.

"Come on. Let's go see where it's coming from," he insisted as he took her fingers and led her toward the music. Damn, this was some powerful stuff. The sound seemed like it was coming from everywhere. "I can't find it."

Jackie pointed upwards. "I think it's coming from those speakers."

"Yeah, but it sounds live. And it's not really Zeppelin." A few more glances around at the concession stands and small tents and Hyde thought he could pinpoint the noise to one of the large exhibit buildings ahead. "We gotta go check those out," he told her the very moment the sky darkened and opened up overhead. "Oh, crap. Is it raining?"

"Yes," Jackie shouted, covering her head with her small arms as the drops grew thicker and more frequent. "Oh my God! My camera! My hair!"

"Who cares, come on! We gotta find that Zeppelin band!"

"Oh, screw Zeppelin! It took me an hour to crimp this!" The rain began to fall harder and everyone outside scrambled for the nearest shelter. Hyde, on the other hand, grabbed his ex-girlfriend's hand and ran for the closest building, about 50 yards away. "You gotta run faster than that, Jackie!"

"I'm trying! You try running in two inch boot heels!" she shouted to him over the startling thunderclaps that made her jump. And when they reached the building, and were stopped by a large crowd that was trying to get in, too, Jackie shrieked and continued to try and cover her hair with her coat. "Steven! Get me inside!" Hyde shook his head at her as he hooked his arm around her waist and yanked her forward.

"Will you relax? It's just water." Shoving his way through the crowd, he got them both inside quickly and let go of her. "Oh man, this is pretty cool," he said, looking around.

Jackie wasn't impressed, though, by her surroundings as she fixed her coat and checked her bag. "Is my camera okay?"

"I don't know. Let's see," he said and quickly snapped a picture of her, looking like a drowned cat. "Yep." A very _hot_ drowned cat. It pissed Hyde off slightly, thinking those thoughts about her. They were self-destructive. But what could he do? She was hot. But she was even hotter wet. And cute as hell with his sunglasses on.

"Steven, give me my camera," Jackie ordered, grabbing it from him before reaching back out. "And give me that picture you just took."

"You mean this one?" Hyde asked, waving it back and forth as it processed. "Yeah, I can't do that." He glanced at it, dying to torture her. "Man, you look like hell. I can't wait to show this to everyone."

"Steven! Give it to me!" A very irritated Jackie stepped forward and reached out but Hyde only reached back and held the picture at bay, creating the scenario he had been scheming for. "Come on, Steven! You're being a jerk!" He shook his head.

"Why don't you try saying, 'Thank you Hyde for getting me out of the rain?"

Jackie huffed. "Thank you, Hyde, for getting me out of the rain."

"Better." Hyde handed the Polaroid over and shifted his interest to the incredible chaos around him. "Man, this place is awesome."

"Yeah and there's seven more buildings like this one so we gotta get moving. This one, I think," Jackie looked over a piece of paper from her purse, "is the 'Automotive Technology' exhibits hall."

"Awesome," Hyde muttered in complete wonderment as he eyed a shiny blue Ferrari with wings. So, completely forgetting that there even existed a broad named Jackie, he moved to walk toward the pretty car.

"Steven! No!" Jackie shouted, grabbing his arm. "That's exactly how I lost Colin for two hours." She knew that keeping him focused on her was her only hope or she would lose him to the shiny sports cars forever. Desperate, she cupped his cheeks and tried to snag his darting eyes and tame them with her own. "Stay with me, Steven. Look at me."

Out of the corner of his eye, Hyde caught another futuristic car made out of rubber and one with a pancake griddle on the dash. "Yeah, but Jackie…Oh, holy crap. Free beer!"

"Steven, focus!" With great difficulty, the brunette managed to turn his head and make him look at her. "Rule number one, 'No beer.' Remember?"

"But Jackie…"

"No, Steven. I can't have you drunk and running wild. We'll look at the cars but I need you to stick by me. Okay?"

Taking a deep breath, Hyde rolled his eyes and stared into green and blue. "Fine. Alright. I'll stick by you. I promise."

Jackie smiled. "Thank you. Now, I just need to find the best exhibits for a few on air sequences, mark them, and take a picture for camera positioning and that's it…"

* * *

Twenty minutes later…

True to his word, Hyde stayed within fifteen feet of Jackie at all times, and finally began to understand his main role there. The place was filled with dirty old men and science geeks with too much money, who all seemed to think that his pretty ex-girlfriend was there to be ogled and hooted at while she was trying to do her job. And it was seriously beginning to piss him off.

As they walked several feet apart, Hyde gave Jackie a quick glance, just to be sure that no one was invading her personal space, and turned to find something that he never thought he would…the diamond in the ruff…his holy grail…his Hoffa…and his jaw fell. "Oh, man." A chill even coursed up his spine, giving him a better high than even the hottest sex could at this moment. "Oh, man!"

Before him stood a man, a lone older gentleman, and next to him was a car, and next to that was a sign that read: 'The Car that Runs on Water.' Hyde's head began to spin and his eyes widened. There was no way. "Jackie." He turned around and saw her reading some pamphlet about ten feet away. "Jackie!" he hoarsely whispered but she couldn't hear him. "Damn it."

Hyde stepped forward toward the middle-aged guy and his special car. "Hey, man," he said quietly and rather carefully. "What's up?"

The man's eyes darted left to right and then settled back on Hyde. "Not much."

"So it uh, it really runs on water?" The old guy looked around again as if he was concerned that the two were being watched, and leaned forward.

"It sure does, man. It's steam driven."

Intrigued, Hyde stepped closer. "So, uh, how long have you had it?"

"_Years_, man."

"I _knew_ it!" Hyde turned back around. "Jackie!"

"No, no, MAN!" the older gentleman hushed gruffly and grabbed Hyde to turn him back around. "Don't draw too much attention to it! That's why I got myself a spot in the corner. I've been trying to get this thing in car shows for years but someone always stops me." The rotund guy smirked and shook his head. "Man, you'd be surprised at how many times I've been denied entrance. Somebody doesn't want this known."

In his own conspiratorial manner, Hyde nodded. "The government or the oil industry…for the obvious reasons."

"Yeah," The older man briefly sized the younger one up. "So, what's your name, man?"

"Hyde."

"Wilbur," he said, reaching out for Hyde's hand.

"Nice to _finally_ meet you, Wilbur."

"Likewise." Wilbur looked beyond Hyde's head. "Hey, is that uh, pretty little firecracker with _you_?"

"Yeah." Turning around, Hyde didn't see her. "What the hell? Jackie?!"

"Well, I would stay by her side if I were you; she's got a lot of fans around here," Wilbur informed him, pointing in a different direction than Hyde had been looking. "Over there."

"Thanks, man." Thinking quickly, Hyde snapped a photo of the car and its sign before taking off to beat somebody's ass. Coming up behind Jackie as she stepped into some random guy's face, Hyde grabbed her waist and quickly lifted her over by a few feet. "And don't call me 'baby'!" he heard her scream as she kicked and flailed.

"What the fuck is her problem?" The guy was answered with a fist to his mouth, sending him down on his ass.

"She doesn't like being hit on while she's trying to work," Hyde said, shaking his hand. Damn, that one had actually hurt. "So stay the fuck away from her."

Still fired up, Jackie returned. "Yeah, and even if I wasn't working, I still wouldn't date your stupid ass!" she shouted, kicking the guy's leg as he sat on the floor, still cowering from Hyde. "Jerk!"

"Ow!"

"Jackie, that's enough," Hyde told her with a small grin. "He's already on the ground."

But she was too focused and she kicked the guy, again. "Ow!"

"Jackie…" Hyde let her kick him one more time. "Okay. That's it." Then he picked her up, yelling and flailing, and slung her over his shoulder as he walked her away from the scene.

"Put me down, Steven!! So I can kick him again! I am so sick of being hit on by wannabe losers who still live in their _mother's basements_!" she shouted out as a crowd of horrified people watched. "Go find your rubber woman and harass _her_! Geek! Steven, put me down."

"I'll put you down when you're calm." Right then, as Hyde hugged her legs and continued to walk her through the crowd, Jackie relaxed and he felt her limp little body expand with a deep breath.

"I'm calm." So, Hyde stopped and gently set her down, watching with amusement as she adjusted her clothes and fixed her hair with feigned grace. "Thank you."

He smirked. "I don't know what the hell you need me for. You kicked that guy's ass all by yourself."

And she smiled, a little proud of herself. "I did, didn't I?" Hyde nodded and without warning, small arms were wrapped around his neck in a tight hug. "Thank you, Steven."

"You uh, you ready to run back through the rain?" he asked, trying to spare himself from the awkwardness. And having forgotten all about the car that runs on water, his picture tucked safely in his pocket, Hyde allowed his feisty charge to drag him through the storm and over to the '21st Century - Future of Science' exhibition next door.

* * *

One hour and thirty minutes later - 3:52 pm

The Inventor's Exhibition Hall

"Fool in the Rain" performed by 'Kashmir,' a Led Zeppelin cover band, sounds out through the large building.

All by herself, sitting on a park bench, Jackie worked to put together the anchor's report when a steaming hot baked potato with sour cream and chives was circled beneath her nose. "Mmm. God, I'm starving." She took it and watched as Hyde sat down next to her, his own baked potato, with all the stuff, in hand.

…_And the warmth of your smile starts a burning  
And the thrill of your touch gives me fright  
And I'm shaking so much, really yearning  
Why don't you show up, make it all right?_

"So I don't get it," he started, looking at all her paperwork. "You do all the freakin' work and the anchor gets the credit like she did it?"

His female companion nodded sadly. "Pretty much. Though, I do get co-director credits to put on my pathetic resume."

"Lame," Hyde threw in, taking a careful bite of his spoonful of potato.

"I know. It sucks." Looking around herself, Jackie turned to Hyde, confused, "Hey, where's my funnel cake?"

"I couldn't find a funnel cake stand but I did get you this," he offered, producing a large cup of hot cocoa with whipped cream for her to drink. "It's hot cocoa. You kept saying you were cold, so…"

_And if you promised you'd love so completely  
and you said you would always be true  
You swore that you would never leave me baby  
What ever happened to you…_

"Oh, my God, Steven," she squealed as she grabbed it carefully, immediately breathing in the chocolate aroma. She had been craving the warmth of a hot drink all day and took off her gloves to let the cup warm her cold, cramped up hands. For that, Hyde got a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you. You _are_ a gentleman. No matter what I said earlier."

Leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, Hyde let Jackie get back to work while he ate his potato and checked out what he could from his seat. Over by the stage, people were dancing to the samba rhythms of the song on a make-shift dance floor while others laughed and haggled with inventors selling their inventions, ranging from motorized pogo sticks to smokeless ashtrays, one of which intrigued him. It was odorless. Before he knew it, though, his elbows were being lifted and black boots were being slipped over his lap. "Hey. What are you doing?"

"Getting comfortable," Jackie asserted unapologetically as she positioned both legs completely over him and scooted in, "Sit back." She was expecting some protest but none came as he sat back, pulled her legs closer to his stomach and went back to his potato. She was a little surprised to say the least. He really had changed, she supposed. He would have at least bitched a little before, but now he seemed a little more willing to be put out for someone else, her included.

How in the hell had Jessica done it, she wondered as she stared at him. How in the hell had she tamed him like that? It wasn't much; he was still an ass majority of the time, but more accessible and a lot cuddlier, Jackie decided with a small smile. Though, a part of her hated Jessica for it, even though she knew she shouldn't. She should be happy for her. Right? Happy that at least _someone_ had this part of him. That _someone_ had his love and made him happy in return. But Jackie wasn't. She was jealous instead. Although, she had to remember one fact as Hyde finally sensed her gaze and looked over: Jessica had been cheated on… with her.

He hadn't changed that much.

"What's up? Why aren't you eating?"

"I am," Jackie claimed, arbitrarily glancing at his potato. He looked at it, too, and scooped up some of it onto his spoon, putting it to her mouth.

She opened up and he watched her lips close around it. "Pretty good, huh?"

"Mm-hm," she muttered and rested her head on his shoulder, content to just sit with him and watch the comings and goings of the crowd, eating potatoes with all the stuff. "I think I like yours better."

"Well you can't have it."

* * *

Thirty-five minutes later…

Outside, in the Storm, on the Main Street of the Fair

Running from tent to tent, like two scampering squirrels in the rain, Hyde and Jackie strategically avoided getting soaked on their way to the entrance. "Jackie, jump!" Taking a few steps backwards, the barely crimped brunette took a chance and leaped across a large puddle into his arms. "Now run!"

Together they took off and ran like hell, her screaming and laughing the entire way, until they reached another tent and did it again. But then at one tent in particular, he stopped. "God! My hair is gonna be so flat!" she shouted over the downpour before noticing that Hyde wasn't paying any attention to her. "Steven, are you even listening to me?!"

"Yeah, your hair's flat." While Jackie gasped at his comment, Hyde squinted his eyes at something in the distance and then smiled. "Funnel cake."

"Steven, I have to get to the entrance! There's no time for funnel cake!"

"I'll be right back."

"Steven!"

"I'll be _right_ back!" He took off through the rain while Jackie waited, fuming, and when he got to the stand; he ordered two, both with extra powdered sugar.

"Four dollars."

Reaching into his pocket, Hyde pulled out his money and the picture. "Oh, crap." Somehow, he had forgotten. Damn it, he had to tell her. He had to tell _someone_ from the old gang. "Hey! Jackie!"

"What?!" he heard her scream, still standing where he had left her.

Hyde raised the photo. "It's the car that runs on…" As the word 'water' left his lips, thunder struck and made her jump. "Jackie!!"

"What?!" She looked terrified suddenly but he held up the picture again, anyway, and pointed.

"I saw the car that…" The thunder rumbled again. "Fuck!"

"Four dollars, man."

"Oh, yeah." Reaching up to hand over the money, a wind picked up and blew the Polaroid out if his hand. "Damn it! Grab that!" he yelled at the guy, who looked over and saw that a picture had fallen about an inch from his funnel cake batter. "Hurry, man!" But before the man could grab it, the wind knocked it into the batter.

"It fell in."

"So get it out," Hyde demanded. The guy sighed and used his tongs to find the picture but his klutziness got the best of him and it fell straight into the hot oil nearby. "Man, what the hell?! Now no one's gonna believe me." Hyde threw his four dollars at the dumbass that ruined his picture and looked at his watch. It was simple. They would meet the anchor and go back to get another picture.

"Steven! It's 4:30!" he heard Jackie shriek angrily. "Get your stupid ass over here, now!!" He did, and suddenly decided he hated funnel cake as Jackie passed her work over to some plastic looking broad that looked very familiar to him.

"You ready to go?" Jackie asked when she was done. "We should get outta here before rush hour starts and we end up sitting in bumper to bumper traffic all night."

Hyde watched the familiar woman walk away. "Man, I think I nailed your anchor, once."

"Steven!"

He looked back at Jackie. "No, we can't leave now. I'm telling you, I gotta get another picture."

"Ugh! Will you just let it go?! There is no car that runs on water! You were high!"

"That's it," Hyde growled, grabbing her hand and dragging her all the way back to the Automotive Exhibit building. "I'll be happy to sit in traffic for this. Just to watch you squirm for calling me a liar."

* * *

One hour later

I-41 North – Chicago, IL

Shaking his head, furious as hell, Hyde stared ahead at bumper to bumper traffic… complete gridlock. Next to him, Jackie sat with her arms folded, rolling her eyes and thinking about the fact that there was no way she would reach Colin tonight. And…

"You know, Steven. There's no way we're gonna make it to see Leo tonight." Hyde shot her a nasty glare.

"Yeah, I know that, Jackie," he grumbled through clenched teeth. "But thanks for the bitchy reminder." His chest was tight with frustration and her big mouth was making it worse. How could Wilbur just be gone? An entire car gone? No one was gonna believe him, now, and Jackie wasn't helping. "There was a car," he repeated for the tenth time.

"Uh, huh."

Hyde's blood began to boil over and he had to swallow down the explosion of anger that he didn't want to unleash on her. The car had him pissed, the traffic had him furious but the fact that Leo could wake up or worse without him there, had him enraged.

"Steven, move! The car ahead of you moved!"

"By a foot, Jackie!" Hyde turned the wheel sharply and got into the breakdown lane. "That's it. I can't sit here in this car with you all night."

"What are you doing?!"

"Cutting through the city."

"Well that's stupid. You don't even know the city." God, she had no idea. He knew the city…sort of. He had scoured it five years prior, trying to find her god damn hotel – her little love den with Kelso.

"I know it enough," he assured her as he drove away farther and father away from the highway. But the exit had only led him to an area he didn't know at all. It was obviously a bad part of town and there was not a fucking sign in sight. And after a half an hour of driving in circles and of Jackie's silent treatment, Hyde thought he saw a sign for the highway until…his back tire blew. "Fuck!"

He heard Jackie sigh loudly as the van rolled to a stop against the sidewalk of a dark, empty side street. "Nice job, Steven," she said and pulled the door handle to get out but Hyde grabbed her.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" he yelled, closing her door back up. "Look around you, Jackie! We're in the god damn ghetto! You can't just go walking off by yourself! This isn't Point Place." He looked around and opened his own door. "Now stay in the car. I'll be right back. And keep it locked."

Hyde got out and walked around the van to open up the back doors, mindful of his surroundings the entire time. This was going to have to be done at record speed, he decided. He wouldn't have cared if he had been alone, but she was with him, and so it mattered. Lifting up the spare tire door, Hyde's breath left him entirely.

It was empty.

And he remembered instantly why.

"God damn it," he muttered under his breath and looked up at Jackie as she stared back at him. She looked so sure of him, like he could fix anything for her, even after he had gotten them into this mess. She believed that he would make it okay. It was all over her face. Hyde turned his eyes to the sky and shut them for a moment, trying to think of what to do. It had stopped raining a few minutes prior, so he got back in the van. He would take her somewhere safe when the rain started again. Weirdos and assholes didn't usually comb the streets in the rain, looking to fuck with people, he assumed. So they would wait.

"Steven," she called softly from up front as he sat down on the carpeted floor of his van and leaned against the wall. "Why aren't you changing the tire?"

"I don't have a spare." Hyde looked up at her newly worried eyes. That look from a few moments earlier was gone and he shook his head apologetically. "A couple months ago, Kelso had a flat and took mine. I forgot to replace it." With a hard thud, Hyde slammed his head against the side wall, feeling like a failure. He should be used to it, though, he thought…failing her.

"Jackie, sit on the floor," he said a minute later.

"Why?"

"Cause I don't want anybody to be able to see you."

Looking around at the eerily calm street, Jackie saw a man walking toward the van and did as Hyde had asked. She sat across from him and felt her stomach turn sick. She felt so alone. He wasn't talking and she could see, once her eyes grew adjusted to the darkness, that he was pissed. Instantly, tears began to sting her eyes. She was scared and she hated when he was silent like this.

"Steven." He didn't answer, there was only silence, and Jackie began to cry.

"Jackie. God, please… don't cry." With a loud sobbing gasp, Jackie threw her body at him and buried her face into his neck. "Jackie…what are you doing?"

"Getting comfortable," she cried as she wrapped her legs around his waist and hugged his entire body. She always loved his lap. It was comfortable, and safe, and no matter what he did or said right now, she wasn't leaving it. A few more minutes of silence passed while she held him. "Why aren't you talking to me?"

"Cause I'm thinking, Jackie," he snapped.

"Please stop acting like this," Jackie raised her head, "Please. It's gonna be okay."

"How do you figure, Jackie? We have no car and no idea where we are, except to know that we're in the middle of the fucking ghetto and I've got you." Hyde dropped his head back. "Damn it…Just…stop talking to me."

"Well, what if we called someone? Like the Formans."

"So what? So they can roam the ghetto searching for us? Come on. I'm not dragging anybody else into this."

"It was just a suggestion." Jackie laid her head back down on his shoulder and felt him tense up more. She wished for 'Regular Hyde' back. The one who had helped her across puddles and shaved his beard off for her. She wanted him so badly. Just him, and everything would be alright. A few tears fell from her eyes and she kissed his neck softly, letting her nails gently scratch at the back of his head.

Hyde moved his head. "Jackie, stop. That crap's not gonna work."

"It will," she insisted stubbornly. "It always works." She kissed him again tenderly, this time on his ear and she felt his head turn toward her slightly. Her fingers moved to his sideburns and she scratched lightly down to his jaw, over and over, kissing his neck again.

"Jackie…"

"Shhh…" Another kiss and his eyes fell shut. "I'm not scared, Steven, cause I know you won't let anything happen to me…" Another kiss. "And I'm more scared for the ghetto people…" Kiss. "Cause there's, like, a thousand feet of curb out here." His chest vibrated from a slight chuckle and she smiled, giving him another kiss. It was probably impossible for either of them to forget how angry he had been the night he kicked her boyfriend over and placed his mouth down over the edge of that curb…

_(June 18, 1982)_

"_Steven, what are you doing?" Hyde stood up and stepped back. "Steven, don't." Jackie began to cry. "Steven! PLEASE!" Grabbing at any piece of him that she could find, she tried to yank his larger body toward her. Though it was harder than she thought it would be and he was stronger than she remembered. _

"_Steven! Look at me," she cried, awkwardly cutting her own small body in between Hyde and the bloodied heap of her boyfriend who lay at his feet, half-conscious with his perfect teeth straddling the dirty concrete curb. "Steven." Cupping his face gently, Jackie spoke in the most soothing voice that would emanate from her parched throat. "Steven, please baby. Look at me." His eyes remained fixed, though, on Chris, his body rigid and unmoving. "Steven, please," Jackie wept softly, letting her words turn to desperate whispers as the fear finally caught up with her and made her slender form shake. "You're scaring me. Will you please look at me?" _

_Unable to physically turn Hyde's head toward her, Jackie's trembling fingers moved to caress his face instead, her long nails combing delicately over his stubble and thickly grown sideburns. She suddenly felt sorry for her scruffy ex-boyfriend. Even after a year and half of loathing every molecule that shaped him, she felt intense sympathy. She couldn't help it. His clothes were unkempt and he was drunk, so drunk that she could smell the beer waft from his every exhale. Cringing, Jackie realized that this was not her Steven, not the one she had loved anyway. He was still gone, but whoever this was, this man, he obviously cared about what happened to her. _

"_Whatever he said about me… it doesn't matter," she told him softly, careful with her tone while his breathing was still so ragged and his alert eyes still held their glazed-over quality on his opponent. But in that same instant, Jackie felt a warm stream of thick liquid roll down from her temple and quickly wiped it away before Hyde could notice. "Steven, he's barely conscious." _

_Hyde finally blinked, softened his glare as his muscles relaxed slightly and gave Jackie some much needed hope. "Look at me, Steven" she whispered slowly, using the same softness she had years before in his bedroom, in the dark, when it was only the two of them, young and determined to explore every inch of each other. "Please, baby," she cried softly and waited for what seemed like an eternity "…I love you." And in that moment, Hyde looked at her, his blue eyes raw and human again._

_It was him. A brief glimpse, anyway. One she wouldn't see again for over two years, except when it was directed at a certain strawberry blonde._

_But, at the time, Jackie didn't know what the future would hold. So, with a small smile, her hands gently skimmed the length of his jaw line and she simply nodded in response to the confused look in Hyde's eyes. "I do…, Steven. Keep looking at me…It's just me. There's nobody else here." Rising onto her bare toes, she stroked his cheeks again and brought her lips to within an inch of his. His irregular breathing continued in short bursts but his eyelids flickered drowsily before finally closing. "I need you to be calm for me, okay?" _

_Jackie brushed her lips gently over Hyde's to keep him focused on her as his respirations slowed and finally leveled out. She forced him to hear and feel only her as she circled her bottom lip around the circumference of his mouth. "I need you." By instinct, her lips parted and she let her breath warm his chin before returning to his lips. "Come inside with me, Steven," she whispered again, giving him a light kiss while she pressed his cheeks and pulled his face toward her, making him pucker as she purred, "kiss me." And when he did, so gently, she could feel his body completely relax, obviously bewitched by her quiet femininity and tempted by the prospect of yet another kiss as she pulled away. "Let's go."_

_Hyde shook his head, not budging as his eyes snapped open. "Not yet."_

"_Steven."_

"_No. I want you to go wait over there," he told her sternly but composedly, directing her toward the building with a nod. "I'm not done with him."_

"_Steven…I…"_

"_Now, Jackie!"_

_She stomped her foot. "Fine… But just know, if you do it, he'll die and you'll go to jail and I'll never forgive you for ruining your life… Never!"_

"_Yeah... Well… thanks for summin' up the situation for me," he said in his usual sarcastic tone as he looked down at Chris and Jackie breathed her first sigh of relief. It was going to be alright. She had taken his rage and left behind only her drunken ex-boyfriend, still pissed, but in control. _

_As Jackie backed away slowly, she witnessed something she hadn't expected. Under the fluorescent yellow safety lights of her apartment complex, Steven Hyde knelt down in front of his adversary and seemed to inspect him before whispering something in his ear. The curiosity was killing her. What was he saying? She could only imagine, knowing Hyde. He was a wordsmith of the most heinous variety. But it didn't matter because almost immediately he stood up and started to walk, stopping only to give Chris one last kick in the gut before continuing toward her. _

"_Hey, I don't think he's gonna be coming around you anymore."_

"_How do you know?" _

_She wanted to laugh at the face he gave her, like she had just asked the most outlandish question ever thought up. "Because I told him I'd kill him if he did," he said matter-of-factly and then grabbed her hand to pull her inside. "By the way, I'm spending the night. No arguing."_

_As her rekindled hero dragged her toward her apartment, Jackie smiled and didn't say a word. She was proud of herself… and him. He had come through when she needed him most, despite their ugly past and she… Well she had saved him right back. And although Jackie doubted he would ever thank her, she knew that his life and his future, the beautiful one she knew he would one day have, would be her thanks enough…_

It was only a few minutes later, but Hyde's placated, twenty-five year old body was perfectly relaxed in Jackie's arms and his head lay sleepily on her shoulder. But more importantly, and what had her relaxed, too, was the fact that he was hugging her back, tightly. "Do you feel better?" she asked quietly and felt him nod before he raised his head. Jackie raised hers, too. "What are we gonna do?"

With his newfound tranquility, Hyde took a piece of her still slightly crimped hair and ran it curiously between his fingers. "Um, why don't you get your umbrella—let's not forget that this time—and when the rain starts again, we'll find a hotel. We'll be able to get a tire easier in the morning." He watched her smile and noticed that look return. He was going to make it better. Then, without warning, she leaned in and kissed him. Just a peck, but somehow, it made him feel even better. It was going to be alright. He wasn't even sure anymore what he had been so worried about and just then, the rain started to come down. "It's raining, let's go."

After gathering everything important, they both got out and locked the doors to the van. "Steven, come here," Jackie called, opening her umbrella. "Stay under the umbrella with me."

"I'm fine, Jackie." With a huff, Jackie rolled her eyes.

"Steven...Come here." She grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him close as she leaned against the van and covered them both. "You're so bad at hints." Hyde felt himself smirk lightly when she wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled him flush against her body. But he couldn't help it. He was a little shocked at her directness.

"What do you want, Jackie?"

"You," she whispered, instantly mad at herself for actually letting it out. It was said so quietly, but the moment it left her lips, he was kissing her and she thanked God for not letting her be a fool and for the boy she was holding. His lips and skin were wet from the rain, his tongue was hot and his kisses practically made her melt in his arms as they intensified.

"Well, looky, looky what we got here."

"Love birds," Hyde heard a sardonic voice joke as yet another snickered.

"Fuck," he whispered against her lips; there were three so far behind him, but he didn't move, especially when he heard her whimper his name. "Shh. It's okay."

"Hey boy. We're talking to you," a deeper voice spoke more threateningly.

Four.

Fuck.

"Jackie, if I tell you to run…run. Don't look back and don't try to help me. Just run toward all those tall buildings. Okay?"

"Okay," she whispered, giving him another kiss before she felt his mouth leave hers and watched him turn around slowly.

To Be Continued.

* * *

**A/N2:** I give up trying to coax you guys into reviewing. Do whatever you want. I'll just sit here, exhausted from all that writing, don't worry about me. SIGH. Even though a review _would_ make me the happiest girl on the west coast, but whatever. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Returning to the Scene of the Crime**

**A/N:** Everyone who reviewed – thank you so much. Your suggestions have been noted and the entire gang will be back next chapter. This one is all JH and very long. It was the fucking death of me, I tell ya. I wanted to pull my hair out and was ready to light my fucking face on fire to distract from my raging migraine, so please appreciate the result. Next chapter will be better _and shorter_. This one has some parts that are gonna piss you guys off and I'll probably lose a few readers, as evidenced by my already dwindling numbers, but here's to hoping I don't…Holy shit, I'm gonna go pass out now…

And thanks Tanith for tolerating my whining and bitching. You're the poo, girl.

* * *

**November 6, 1984 – 6:23 pm**

Chicago, Illinois

"Jackie, if I tell you to run…run. Don't look back and don't try to help me. Just run toward all those tall buildings. Okay?"

"Okay," she whispered, giving him another kiss before she felt his mouth leave hers and watched him turn around slowly.

This was new territory for Hyde. Yeah, he'd been in the situation before, him against more than one, but tonight was different. Tonight he was apprehensive. As his eyes darted from man to man, four in all, his body guarding Jackie's, one thought consumed him: If he got knocked out, what would happen to her? The range of possible answers gave him more resolve, so much more, than any other situation had ever given him. And he knew; he would kill every one of them if he had to. But whatever happened, she was walking away with _him._

"What's up," he offered assertively to the largest one, the man directly in front of him, while maintaining constant eye contact, his spine straight, eyes blinking only when he felt Jackie rest her head against his back and clutch his waist for comfort.

"This your van?" the large man asked.

"Yeah."

Tucked behind Hyde, Jackie pressed her cheek to one of the firm muscles of his upper back, trying to focus on the gravelly tone of his voice as he spoke. She knew he was probably nervous, but he didn't show it. Not at all. And it made her feel so safe behind him. Though, she worried for him, too, knowing what lengths he would seek to protect her. But she knew, no matter _what_ happened, she wasn't leaving his side. She wasn't going to abandon him or throw him to the wolves to save herself. She just wouldn't. As long as her feet could kick and her fists could punch, she would stay with him. Whatever it took. She wasn't leaving.

Laughter rang throughout the empty street and made her jump slightly. "…there ain't no where to get a tire around here."

"Yeah, I kinda figured," Hyde responded, glancing to his far left, where he noticed a licentious gaze resting on Jackie. He decided that the immediate threat lay there. Two of the remaining men were farther back and the group's obvious leader, the one he was talking with, seemed calm and more interested in his van than anything. They were fucking with him, he knew, but they weren't looking to fight just yet. Hyde's pride, though, kept telling him to threaten the one to his left, but his brain shut his pride up fast. There were four men, and she could barely run in those damn boots. The reality was, he was outnumbered and overpowered; one good hit and she was vulnerable.

"You're in the wrong neighborhood, cuz. You know that, right?" At the question, Hyde saw forward movement in his left peripheral vision and heard a deep voice call out to Jackie. Pure rash impulse sent his fist flying into the man's throat, hard and fast, and he watched him instantly fall to the ground, choking.

Instantaneously, a flood of adrenaline burst from Hyde's heart, pumping furiously through his veins and forcing his senses into overdrive as his body grew ready to fight. But, to his surprise, no one came after him. Instead, the remaining three threats were pointing and laughing at their friend as he held his neck and writhed on the ground.

"What'd you think was gonna happen, fool?" the largest one, the leader, berated as he chuckled. "You saw my man here was guarding his girl." Near uncontrollable laughter echoed through the street and Hyde's heart was practically pounding out of his chest but still, no one came at him. "Stupid motherfucker." The big man shook his head at the one on the ground. "I should let him fuck your dumb ass up."

"Steven, what's happening?" Jackie uttered quietly. But Hyde wasn't sure. All he could imagine was that these guys were just like him and his friends, getting a good laugh at each other's expense. Regardless, though, he stayed vigilant. They could turn on him at any moment.

"That little white boy beat your stupid ass down, Trey!" another shouted through his near laughing fit as he mimicked his friend's pained groans. The leader chuckled again, shaking his head before turning to another and pointing at Hyde.

"Check out Wisconsin here. All ready to fight for his lady." He turned to Hyde. "Man, relax. We ain't gonna fuck you up in front of your girl." As the leader stepped forward, the one he had hit stood and Hyde kept his wide eyes left, daring him to do something.

"Trey," the leader called, putting his hand out to his friend as he shook his head, silently telling him to back off. He turned back at Hyde and gestured rightwards. "Let's me and you rap for a minute"

"No, I'm good right here," Hyde told him, still glowering left. "And if your friend takes one more step toward her, I'm fucking him up."

"If my man comes at her again, I'll fuck him up myself," the big man replied matter-of-factly. With that, Hyde relaxed slightly, but never took his eyes off Trey for too long, completely unaware that behind him, a little brunette was peering over his shoulder, sneaking a peek at the group's boss.

"You ain't got nothing to be scared of, baby doll," big man told her. "You're alright." To Hyde's dismay, Jackie inched out slightly and rested her cheek on his arm, hugging it for comfort as she continued to hold the umbrella over their heads. With a nod of approval, the big guy grinned at Hyde. "Damn, Wisconsin. You've got yourself a nice looking lady there. What's her name?"

The flattered brunette lifted her head and smiled. "Oh, I'm Jackie and this is Steven." Hyde shook his head. If these thugs wanted to kill her, they were going to have to get in line behind him. With the arm she was clinging to, Hyde nudged her back a little, but she only returned to his side.

"Well hello, Jackie. I'm Elbert."

Instantly, Jackie sneered and scrunched her nose. "Elbert?" She was surprised by the non-gangster-like name, expecting 'Razor' or 'Tiny' or something equally lame.

"Yeah, is there something wrong with my name?"

Feeling a little more at ease, she let go off Hyde's arm. "Oh, no. I think it's very nice, Elbert."

"Well, thank you, Jackie. It was my grandpop's name."

Jackie smiled. "Oh! I was named after my dad. His name was Jack."

Elbert returned her smile and nodded. "That's nice." Hyde grimaced and tried to push Jackie back behind him again, only to have her return… again. His jaw tightened. What the hell was her dopey, little brain thinking?

"El, dawg, can we speed this shit up. My coat's getting all wet," the guy behind Elbert complained, wiping the rain droplets from his leather jacket. "It's gonna toughen the leather."

The big man's face hardened. "Bitch, shut the fuck up. I'm talking with the lady here."

With pursed lips, Hyde tried to push Jackie back behind him again, but she wouldn't budge. "Look, what the hell is it you want?" he asked Elbert.

"Oh, I think you know what we want, cuz."

As the street turned silent, Hyde thought over his options. Was giving up the van worth a free pass out of the ghetto? He didn't care about the van much, so that was a plus. Now, if it had been the el Camino, he decided, he might have put up a fight. But it wasn't. And it wasn't as if he had a choice, anyway. He had Jackie to think about. So, he could either hand over the keys and walk out of this mess OR get his assed kicked, have them taken away and limp out. Hyde chose the former. It involved less of his blood. "Fuck," he grumbled, pulling out his keys. "Hey. I hand these over, that means that me and her walk out of here with no fucking problems. Right?"

"Of course, homie."

Jackie's brow furrowed and her voice rose to a nails-on-chalkboard level. "Wait. What?! They want your van?!"

"Yeah, try and keep up, Jackie," Hyde snapped and held out his keys.

But before Elbert's large hand could snag them, a little manicured and exfoliated one grabbed them first. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no."

Hyde turned to her, incredulous almost beyond words. "Jackie, what the hell are you doing?"

The pissed off brunette waved them in front of Elbert and puckered her brow in anger. "You, are _not_ taking his van! We need that van to get home!"

"You better control your girl, Wisconsin," Elbert warned.

"Jackie…"

"I thought we were friends, Elbert?"

"Get the keys from your lady now; before I let my man here get 'em."

"Gimme the god damn keys, Jackie. _Now," _Hyde growled.

"No," she stubbornly replied before glaring at the big man. "And I don't like your tone, Elbert. And, you know what, I don't think I like_ you_, anymore. You're not as nice as I thought you were. Oh! And by the way, Elbert's a _stupid_ name for a gangster!"

Elbert's round face scowled. "What'd you say?"

With a whimper, Jackie tucked her body back behind Hyde's as he stood, shaking his head and cursing God for bringing her into his life. "You can't hit a girl," she reminded Elbert.

"No, but I can hit your boy here."

Pointing at him, the mouthy brunette stepped back out. "You better not, Elbert!"

Elbert looked around, flabbergasted, and then grimaced at Hyde. "Is she always like this?"

"Pretty much."

"Then you better have a serious talk with her before she gets your ass killed." Hyde took a deep breath. He had always known that Jackie Burkhart would be the death of him; he just hadn't thought it would be so literal. And then, as if the earth's rotation slowed, detailing the twist and turn of every molecule that existed in its sphere of gravity, the umbrella above Hyde's head came down and swung around to Jackie's side, where it closed, finally exposing them both to the rain. Hyde looked over, unaware that Elbert's massive fist was cocking back, and watched Jackie cringe and shut her eyes, her tiny arms raising her designer Christian Dior umbrella like a baseball bat. Before he could react, though, she swung and bashed its wooden handle directly into Elbert's nose just as his fist grazed Hyde's chin.

"Fuck!" Hyde shoved her away. "Jackie, get the hell outta here! Run!"

"Steven!!" Struck from his right side, Hyde was knocked toward Jackie and he immediately pushed her behind the van.

"Go! Hide!" Without another second wasted, he turned back and was punched again instantly. Hyde returned one good hit when he was struck a third time from the side; the sheer velocity of it slamming his entire body against the van. His eyes shut briefly from the pain and he wondered how far Jackie had gotten when he heard her scream about two feet away from him. When he opened his eyes, a millisecond later, he watched her nervously shove the end needle of her umbrella at her admirer Trey's crotch and watched him hit the ground crying. But he immediately felt another punch and then another hit his left and right cheekbones. His face was on fire but the next guy who came at him got a kick in the nuts and the next one a punch to the jaw and unfortunately for him, Jackie's umbrella needle.

"Gimme that!" he yelled at her and caught it within seconds. Hyde knew he could put more force behind their only weapon's swings. And as Jackie ran behind him, the remaining two, big man and leather jacket guy, laughed.

"Look! He's gonna beat us down with a pink umbrella." Hyde nodded. Yeah, but not how they thought. There were two combat strategies that Jacquelyn Burkhart, a one hundred pound girl, had successfully used to kick his ass on several occasions: shin kicks and surprise attacks. Both hurt like hell.

With misdirected intent swimming in his eyes, Hyde raised the umbrella high and then, without warning, kicked Elbert square in the crotch and, while he still had the element of surprise on his side, swung the umbrella tip around to pierce through one of leather jacket guy's testicles. Both men fell to the ground, one screaming, while Hyde and Jackie looked at each other. "Damn, that does work."

Jackie nodded. "But, what do we do, now?" she asked him.

"Uh…Run," Hyde decided, grabbing Jackie by the elbow and pulling her toward the high rises of downtown Chicago. A few quick back glances revealed that three of the men were getting up and moving toward them. "Jackie, run faster!"

"I can't! My boots!"

"Damn it, I told you not to wear those god damn things!" There was no way they could outrun anybody at this pace, even fat Elbert. Looking around at the neighborhood that surrounded them, Hyde noticed a few storefronts under construction. And after they turned the corner, he yanked her behind some scaffolding and support beams. Deep behind one was a thin crevice and immediately, he shoved Jackie inside. "Be quiet. I'll be right back."

"Don't leave me," he heard her whisper as he ran back out into the street. Quickly, Hyde hurled the umbrella like a javelin as hard as he could, hoping to evidence that they had gotten further than they actually had. And just as quickly, he ran back to Jackie, tucking himself inside the tiny fissure with her.

"Shh, don't talk."

"I'm scared," she whispered in his ear, gripping his neck tightly as he bear hugged her body.

"Why the hell did you do that, Jackie?" he whispered back. "Why didn't you run?"

"I couldn't leave you."

"Well…" Sighing quietly, Hyde squeezed her tighter and burrowed his face even deeper into her hair. He had to admit, it was a ballsy move on her part, and all done for him. So, for that, he gave her a tender kiss below her ear. "Thank you."

Shortly after, a loud holler in the distance shattered the quiet moment and put them back on alert. "You can't hide on these streets, Wisconsin! I own this shit!" Hyde shook his head. He hated hiding; it made him feel like such a pussy.

"Screw it. I'm going out there."

"No," Jackie kicked his shin, making him groan and bend over in pain, "Are you stupid, Steven? They could have knives or guns. And they're really mad, now."

"Mad? You think, Jackie? Really?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know, I could really do without your sarcasm right now. Why don't we just wait a few minutes, let them get further away and then make a run for it?"

"Then you gotta take off those boots, Jackie. They're slowing us down." Jackie nodded. She knew what they were doing. "Those damn things have gotten me into more trouble than Kelso and my circle habit put together," he muttered as he kept his eyes on the street. Near his ear, though, she smiled and raised her knee between his legs, letting the heel of her boot drag along his calf.

"Jackie, cut it out," he whispered a few moments later. "This isn't exactly a good time for flirting." But he was lying. For some reason, the air of excitement and risk had his senses heightened. Her hot, sweet breath was blowing in his ear, her teeth were tugging at his lobe and her tongue was warming his skin and it was all charging him up with a scorching desire to take her right there. "God Jackie. Why are you doing this right now?"

"Cause it's making me feel better," she whispered back and Hyde closed his eyes; it was making him feel better, too. "Kiss me, Steven." He was about to, so ready to taste her tongue again, but there was no way in hell he would be able to focus on anything else. "I can't," he panted, mentally fighting back the kisses she was now leaving on neck. "Not now… Come on. We're gonna make a run for it."

Jackie stopped. "Right now? What if they're not gone?"

"Well let's just hope they are. Take off your boots." Jackie did, and then shoved them into her large bag while Hyde did a double-take. "Wait, Jackie. You have your bag?"

"Well, yeah. Duh! My make-up's in it. Do you know how expensive…"

Hyde waved her off. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. What's in it?"

"I don't know. Make-up, wallet, head shots…"

"You got hair spray in there? Or, ooh, hey, you got scissors?"

"Oh my God, I do," Jackie blindly fished through her bag and pulled out a small pair of shearing scissors. "Here." Grinning, Hyde shoved them into his pocket. His ex-girlfriend's illogical need to carry her entire apartment in her ridiculously large chick bag just might save their asses.

After another few minutes, Jackie and Hyde ventured out onto the streets of Chicago, quickly but quietly, hand in hand, and not saying a single word. The more they distanced themselves from the housing projects of the ghetto, the happier they both became. And as the sweet view of downtown grew larger in their eyes, the more relaxed they both felt, growing careless as the charged air around them prompted a relay of smiles and flirtatious banter.

They had probably walked for about six blocks, without a single bout of trouble, when Jackie suddenly slapped her hand to Hyde's chest and stopped him, cold. "What's up?"

"Elbert," she squeaked. And just as Hyde looked over to his right, they were spotted.

"Go!" he yelled as he pushed her down a small street that led them toward a larger, busier one. And as they closed in on it, Jackie grew grateful to see all the bright lights ahead but Fat Elbert and the rest of the junkyard gang were closing in fast and she knew they had to reach the main street before big man reached them.

"I think I've been here before," Jackie told Hyde breathlessly. The corner was coming up and Hyde told her to turn right and when she did, she saw two men smoking in front of a pub and stopped. They saw her, too, and said something but she didn't notice because it was then that she realized that Hyde wasn't with her anymore. He had never turned the corner. "Steven?"

One of the men walked up to Jackie. "Sweetheart, are you okay?"

"Oh my God," Jackie started to cry, "My friend. Help him! Please!"

Fifteen seconds earlier…

"Right! Jackie, go right!" When he was sure she would make the corner, Hyde turned around, knowing how close their followers really were, and threw a fierce punch, causing the quietest, and obviously the fastest, one of Elbert's friends to run straight into his fist, sending him off his feet and to the ground. Hyde did the same as Trey ran up, but immediately after felt a brutal blow to his own head that sent him crashing into the pavement. Pure, debilitating pain followed as his vision tunneled and all sound became muffled, making him feel as though he was underwater. He must have been hit in the ear, he decided as his hand cupped the throbbing appendage, and it must have been by Elbert.

As Hyde tried to get up, someone picked his body up for him and he felt another blow to his gut that knocked the wind out of him and nearly emptied his stomach of its contents. But as he groaned and struggled through the pain, feeling another crack to his eye that drove his body backwards into the wet concrete, he heard Jackie's muffled voice calling his name. He opened his eyes and saw millions of tiny raindrops racing toward him and then Jackie's concerned face as it replaced the image. She was mouthing his name now as noise came in and out, and he felt his head come to a rest on something soft and warm…

"Oh my God, Steven, are you okay?" Jackie whimpered, resting Hyde's battered head on her lap as her new friends threatened the intruding thugs, one cocking a shotgun and aiming it at the big man himself, telling him to get the fuck back to his own neighborhood. "Steven, answer me."

"I'm fine," he groaned as he slowly sat up and forced a grin. "That fat fuck hits like a girl."

"Oh, Steven," she exclaimed, tossing her arms around his neck. "Thank God!" Happy, enthusiastic kisses peppered his bruised, swelling face as he cringed.

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow."

Her eyes grew wide. "Oh, baby. I'm sorry," she pouted, and kissed his lips, instead. They were still perfect and somehow had survived untouched, until now. He kissed her back, just grateful that she was safe and he could finally relax a little. "Are you sure you're ok?" she asked him again. "You look really…"

"Don't say it," he warned, standing up slowly and painfully, his stomach aching as he did. "God damn it." Once he was on his feet, Hyde inspected Jackie. "Hey, are _you_ ok?"

"I'm fine," she said, resting her head against his chest while she hugged him as gently as possible and pointed to her new friends. "These really nice, gun-toting, city people helped us."

Hyde looked over. "Oh, yeah. Hey, thanks." When the men turned around, Elbert and friends finally out of view, Hyde's beaten face lit up. "Hey! Wilbur, man."

"Hey," Wilbur said, his determined scowl turning into a smile. "Hyde, right?" He pointed at Jackie. "And the little firecracker."

Hyde nodded. "Yeah."

"Wait, you know him?" Jackie asked as Wilbur walked over and shook Hyde's hand.

"Yeah," he answered, arrogantly arching his eyebrow at her. "This is the guy that you said didn't exist." Glancing at Wilbur, Jackie grimaced, not understanding. "You know, from the show, the car that runs on water," he added. 'Oh,' she mouthed with a rather sheepish grin. 'Sorry.' Hyde nodded. He would throw it in her face later. For now, he turned back to Wilbur. "Yeah, man. What happened to you earlier? I went back to your booth and you were gone."

"Yeah, I was tired. I'd been there all day, man." Jackie and Hyde looked at each other and shrugged. God, it was so simple. The man was tired. Unable to hold back a smile, Jackie shook her head at the disappointed expression on Hyde's poor, reddened face. She just knew that his imagination had concocted something much juicier to explain the guy's disappearance. With amused sympathy, Jackie grabbed his hand. She found his over-active mind sexy. "Come on, let's head inside my bar," Wilbur suggested, directing them toward the lively pub. "There's a party going on."

"For what?" Jackie asked.

Wilbur looked at her strangely. "It's Election Day," he responded as if the answer were obvious. Dumbly, Hyde and Jackie both nodded, neither had been paying much attention to the outside world in the past few days. Oh, well.

"Hey, I'm Tommy, by the way," Wilbur's friend said, shaking Hyde's hand and then Jackie's.

"Yeah, I'm Hyde and this is Jackie."

"So what happened back there?" Tommy asked.

Hyde shook his head as they got to the door. "We got a flat in the middle of the projects and… Well, _those_ guys showed up and you can figure out the rest."

"Yeah, and I'll bet they're headed right back there to steal your van," Jackie added. "Freakin' poor people. I told you, Steven." Painfully, Hyde raised an eyebrow and nodded. She had told him, about a million times.

"So, you got a van stuck back there?" Wilbur asked, opening the door to let them inside.

"Yep." And at that, Hyde and Jackie walked inside 'Mingles' pub for the first time, hand in hand, looking like an average young couple to the patrons inside. Looking around, Hyde immediately felt comfortable. The faces were all worn, but friendly, and the atmosphere was inviting. It was an older crowd, about their parents' ages, all laughing and drinking and having a good time as music filled the air. Jackie, though, was still cautious.

"So this is _your_ bar?" she asked warily.

Wilbur grinned. "Yeah. My granddad owned her back when this city was a little safer to walk at night."

"It's nice," Hyde commented as the older man walked them deeper inside and addressed Tommy. "Hey. Go get Rich and Dave. We're going to get this kid's van back to your garage."

"Hey, man. You don't have to do that," Hyde said, not wanting to be a burden. "It's insured."

"No. No way are we letting those lowlifes steal what's yours. Not if I can help it," Wilbur said smiling. "We'll get it back."

Jackie looked worriedly at Hyde. "Wait, we gotta go back?"

"Oh, no. You're not going, darlin'. You'll have to stay," the older man told her. Frantically, Jackie shook her head and hugged Hyde's waist tightly, unwilling to let go.

"No. No. Don't leave me here by myself." She wanted to cry. He was her safe spot, her Puddin' Pop. If he left her, she felt like she would fall to pieces. "Please, Steven."

Hyde cupped her face. "Jackie, he's right. You can't go. It's safer here." But, he couldn't ignore the look of pure fear on her face and turned to Wilber. "Man, are you sure she's ok here?"

Wilbur looked at them thoughtfully, seeming to understand Hyde's concern, and directed them both to the bar where he introduced Jackie to the bartender. "Jackie, this is my wife Carol. Hon, this is Jackie. She's gonna sit here with you for awhile while we go get this fella's van." Carol, a woman of about fifty, smiled at Jackie with the warmest smile the girl had ever seen.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Jackie. Have a seat. I'll make ya whatever you," Carol looked at Hyde. "Oh, honey. What happened to you?"

"I got in a fight."

"Yes, you did," she laughed. "Stay right there. Let me get you something to clean that up."

"No, I'm…" But she was already gone and he was left with the task of prying Jackie's arms from his waist. "Jackie, come on."

"If you leave me here alone," she growled and gripped him tighter. "I'll never forgive you."

"Jackie, come on. I wouldn't leave you here if I thought you weren't safe. These people saved my ass. I don't think they're gonna hurt you." Sadly and tersely, Jackie let go and looked away, obviously angry at him. "Jackie, I promise, I'll be right back." She still wouldn't look at him. "Look, why don't' you have a drink? It'll make you feel better."

"You'll make me feel better," she muttered, "if you don't leave." She closed her eyes for a moment and began to tear up as her body came down hard from its adrenaline high, and when she opened them again, she saw Carol's sympathetic eyes.

"You look like you could use a drink, honey," she said, handing Hyde a warm, wet washcloth.

"She could," Hyde answered for her, hoping to settle Jackie's nerves. "She just kicked a fat guy named Elbert's ass with a pink umbrella."

Carol laughed. "Oh! My kinda girl," she said, shimmying her shoulders. "I've got just the thing."

While she sat on her barstool and felt sorry for herself, a thought occurred to Jackie and she looked up, watching as Hyde tried to clean his face. It was bruised and cut, and his stomach was probably hurting, but yet, he was trying to make _her_ feel better. "Oh, Steven," she cried and threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so sorry. I'm such a terrible person." She heard him hiss from the pain but smiled anyway. "Thank you… You know, for…" Exhausted tears stopped her from continuing and she hugged him tighter.

Hyde hugged her back. "I know, Jackie. But I gotta go get the van so we can get home," he told her quietly. "Before Elbert beats us to it."

Jackie let go and grabbed the washcloth, dabbing at the cuts on his cheekbones. "Okay. But be careful. And you better come back for me," she demanded. "Or the bruises on your face are gonna be nothing compared to the ones on your shins."

"I'll be back," he said sincerely, earning him a smile just as Jackie's drink was placed on the bar.

"No charge, honey," Carol insisted with a beaming grin and Hyde watched Jackie's face light up when she saw her Strawberry Daiquiri with pink umbrella included. Grinning, he shook his head and slipped away before she could notice his departure. She was already telling her 'David and Goliath' story to Carol, exaggerating most likely, but she felt safe and content and that's all that mattered…

* * *

Three minutes later…

With a pleased grin, Hyde walked up to the idling tow truck where Tommy sat waiting for him. "Get in!" the older man yelled with a welcoming smile.

To himself, really, Hyde shook his head in amazement. "How awesomely convenient." He got inside and looked back at the bar where Jackie sat giggling with Carol and then to the truck next to him where Wilbur and two of his friends, all carrying shotguns, sat talking and then at the tow truck he was in, unable to believe his luck. "Awesome."

Once Hyde shut his door, the caravan got moving. "What'd you say, man?" Tommy asked.

"Nothin'. Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"What's with all the guns?"

Tommy laughed. "We like to hunt, but mostly, we like to keep the neighborhood safe. We can't always rely on the cops, you know?"

Hyde nodded. "I hear ya, man. I've seen who they let in the academy, first hand, and it's not very encouraging." For eight blocks, Hyde told Tommy all about Kelso and their academy break-ins while he did his best to direct the mechanic back to the van. "Right there," Hyde pointed. The truck slowed and Wilbur pulled up beside them, rolling down the window.

"That it?" he asked. Hyde nodded. That was it, but there was no Elbert in sight. And the only evidence of their dispute was the pink umbrella that lay in the street a block back. He would have picked it up but he was pretty sure Jackie wouldn't want it back, not after where it had been. "Well let's go," Wilbur said with a shrug. "Looks clear."

Tommy pulled up and got out, grabbing a spare tire out of the back of Wilbur's truck as Hyde stepped out, amazed at the generosity. They were his fellow conspiracists and apparently there was an entire paranoid brotherhood that he had no idea existed. "Thanks, man," Hyde said, walking up.

"Oh, I'm not changin' it," Tommy clarified, smiling. "You are. But the tire's on me and so is the protection. Better hurry, though." With a chuckle, Hyde took the tire and finally changed it as Wilbur, Tommy and the two other men stood guard with their rifles, commenting on politics and hot chicks and cars that run on water. Nearby, Hyde was in hog heaven. And within minutes, the spare tire was on with no Elbert in sight, and though Hyde wondered why, he wasn't going to complain.

* * *

Thirty minutes later…

"Ok, bye Carol!" Jackie yelled back as Hyde dragged her out of the bar, taking her to the motel next door that Wilbur had recommended. "So where's the van?"

"In that guy Tommy's auto shop," Hyde replied. "He's gonna put a tire on in it the morning."

"Did you run into Elbert, again?"

"Nope."

Rubbing his arm, Jackie smiled flirtatiously. "You're so brave, Steven," she purred. "And cute."

Hyde grimaced. "Are you buzzed?"

"A little."

"Well no more for you." Walking through the motel lot, a realization slowly seeped in for both of them. This was a very familiar looking motel. Upon arrival, Jackie thought she had seen this street before and now she knew why, and so did he. This was the place. This was the very spot. This was where it had all gone down.

'The Evergreen Motel'

"One room?" the motel's manager asked.

"No, two," Hyde corrected, handing the man a credit card. "Next door to each other."

"Wait, no. I don't wanna sleep here by myself. Not after Elbert." Defiantly, Jackie placed her hands on her hips. "Steven, you can waste your money on two rooms if you want, but I'm sleeping in yours with you. On the freakin', ew, floor, if I have to." It was hard for her to tell what Hyde was thinking at that moment. His face displayed no discernable expression, no hint of an opinion on the matter. He was acting strangely, though, keeping away from her. He had been since they stepped on the property.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No," he replied curtly. "Why the hell would I be mad?"

"I don't know, cause of where we are."

"I don't care where we are, Jackie. I just wanna lie down. I'm tired and my head hurts."

Without another word spoken, they finished checking in and received their room keys. Hyde handed Jackie hers and walked off. "Will you just come in with me and make sure there's nothing weird inside?" He agreed, to her surprise, and when they stepped inside room D, Hyde shook his head in disbelief.

"Oh my God," Jackie muttered, staring at the small, dingy room. "Is this it?" Hyde didn't answer but he knew that it was. Or it was one just like it. It wasn't like he could forget…

_August 1979_

"_Hey." His first thought had been that Jackie looked hot in her little nighty but a tiny smirk had escaped his lips because, more than that, he couldn't wait to take it off of her. God, he had missed her in the most fucked up way; a thing he hadn't anticipated when she left. _

"_Steven, what um, well, what are you doing here?" _

_He watched her climb off the bed and decided to play it cool, though. "Uh, nothin'. I had some free time, thought I'd check out Chicago… How's it goin'?" _

"_Um, good." She wasn't as excited as he thought she would be but it didn't matter. He hated when she got all squeaky and jumpy, anyway. But, he was prepared for it, so convinced that she would fly into his arms at any moment, excited that he had finally come for her. "Hey do you wanna go take a walk, go get something to eat?"_

_He was about to tell her no, that he wasn't hungry, that he wanted to talk…mostly about her coming home with him when… _

"_Jackie, I checked and no one can see us doing it from the parking lot!" _

_And that was it. That was when the room had black-washed before his eyes. He looked over to see the usual suspect in his state of undress and felt his entire body deflate instantaneously. That was why his girlfriend wasn't all squeaky and jumpy and in his arms. And suddenly, he felt like such an idiot for even expecting it. Fuck, for showing up at all. They had probably laughed at how stupid he was for not knowing, for thinking she was missing him, too._

_He remembered watching his best friend's face as twisted thoughts of the girl he loved fucked with his head, thoughts that would torture him for months. _

"_You're dead." _

_And like the predictable shit that he was, Kelso ran from him, leaving only a damp towel in his hand. He remembered looking at Jackie then and suddenly hating all the things about her that he had once loved, suddenly hating her for all the pain he was feeling. "Well that didn't take you long. Did it?" One last look and he left her, for good._

"_No, Steven, wait," she cried out, following him out the door and then stopping a few feet from it. "You didn't want me! Remember? 'Have a good trip, Jackie!' I wanted you, Steven, and you let me go! You didn't even care!"_

"_And I still don't," he coldly replied._

"_That's exactly what I expected you to say…You never loved me, Steven…" Her voice grew farther and farther away and he fought the instinct to turn and counter her tearful assumptions. But he just kept walking and walking instead until he was driving, heading west on a dark highway and away from the sickness in his gut. Through the entire drive, there was a constant ache in his chest and throat, and he hated feeling. It was the same one Edna had given him too many times to count and that Red had given him after his arrest. That unwanted feeling. That empty churning in his stomach that abandonment and betrayal always left behind. God, it sucked. It sucked so damn bad…_

Hyde gave the room another glance and then turned his eyes to what he had left behind on that warm August night. She was still smokin' hot. "I'll be in my room," he told her and then turned around to walk out.

"Wait, I don't like this room."

"Gee, I can't imagine why," Hyde muttered as he walked out the door and disappeared around the corner. "You and Kelso had such a good time in there."

Jackie's eyes thinned. "Steven, shut up," she yelled as she followed him, shutting out the lights and closing the door behind her. "You know we didn't do anything."

Hyde unlocked his own door and stepped inside, letting her in behind him. "Jackie, it doesn't even matter. That was, like, what, eight years ago?"

"Five."

"Whatever. It was a long time ago." Almost immediately, as Jackie shut the door, Hyde sighed and dropped himself onto the bed, grumbling as he stretched his worn and battered body. "So what do you wanna do? You wanna watch TV or what?"

Indolent, Jackie shrugged. "I guess."

Just then, Hyde felt something poke into his thigh and winced from the pain, immediately pulling out the scissors that were cutting into his skin. "Man, I forgot about this," he griped angrily, tossing them on the dresser. "Maybe I could've avoided getting my ass kicked out there." A sympathetic pout crept over his ex-girlfriend's lips and she walked over, leaning down to cup his face as he made eye contact.

"Hey. You got your ass kicked for me," she purred and grinned as her thumb swept over the swollen area beneath his eye. "And you've never been sexier." His eyes fell shut briefly as she gave him a noisy and grateful kiss on his lips. "Now, get in the shower. You're all dirty and sweaty and it'll make your headache go away." Hyde thought about it and shrugged. He felt like shit and both his stomach and head hurt. A hot shower actually sounded good.

"Yeah, ok," he said, getting up. "Hey. And don't answer the door. Just…don't, ok?" She agreed not to and he left her alone as he locked himself behind the bathroom door, lazily peeling off his clothes and stepping into the hottest spray of water his body could tolerate. His face stung from the heat but his headache and stomachache were soon forgotten as he sunk into relief…

"Hey Adam. Is Colin there? … Well, did he say where?" Her knees tucked against her chest, Jackie groaned and tipped over on the bed, letting her body stretch out lazily. "I think he's mad at me. Did he say anything? … Nothing? … God, I was being so horrible to him this morning … I know … Well, will you just tell him I'm sorry … No, I'm not home. I'm in Chicago." In a flash, Jackie's body jerked excitedly and she sat up. "Oh my God! And I totally rumbled with gang bangers from the ghetto! I kicked their butts, too! Cause I'm badass," she bragged casually with a nod. "I did so! … I am _not_ lying! … I know I lie constantly, but I'm not lying right now … Whatever! Colin will believe me … No, jerk. Just tell him I called … Yeah, whatever … Bye."

With a frustrated huff, Jackie hung up the phone and glanced over at the bathroom door, thankful that Hyde was taking longer than usual. Or maybe he just took long showers now. Jackie frowned. It occurred to her that she really didn't know anything about him anymore. Then she thought of something. "Hey!" Her body flew off the bed and she banged on the bathroom door. "Don't use up all the hot water!"

"You have your own shower!" she heard him yell back. "Go use that one!"

"I already told you! I don't like that room!" It gave her dreadful, horrible feelings and, if she could help it at all, she was never stepping foot in there again. His room seemed brighter and warmer anyway, and plus, _he_ as there. "Steven!" she pressed.

"Fine! God damn it." The shower ceased and within minutes, Hyde emerged from the steamy room, dressed again and clean. "Hey, you were right. I do feel better."

Grabbing her bag, Jackie smiled. "Told ya," she said as she brushed past him purposefully. "I won't be long."

Hyde turned around. "Hey, do you wanna hang out at that bar tonight? Not to drink or anything," he added quickly. "Just, you know, to have something to do."

"Yeah! I'll get ready." Jackie seemed excited to him and she was almost to the bathroom when she turned back around. "Oh, and don't forget to call Leo."

"I won't," he said as she disappeared into the steam, shutting the door behind her. After a long sigh, Hyde sat down and called the Kenosha Medical Center ICU. He found out from the charge nurse that, though Leo was still unconscious, he was doing better, and had been moved to a recovery unit earlier in the day.

Pleased with the news, Hyde hung up and nodded, smiling as he sat back against the headboard. A part of him wanted to drag Jackie out of the shower so he could go have a beer and tell her all about it. Tell her that things were looking up. But there was just one problem. In his gut sat a feeling of dread while his brain buzzed with his earlier words to Jessica. 'I'm going somewhere with Jackie today and I wouldn't wanna be late picking her up.' Fuck, she was probably sitting in Minneapolis, pissed the hell off, right now, and he couldn't blame her. If she had said that to him about _her_ ex, he would've been furious.

Looking over at the bathroom door, Hyde figured he had at least twenty minutes before Jackie got out. His mind weighed all of his options, the benefits against the negatives. If he didn't call Jessica, she could take it wrong and do something spiteful. Not that she would, but it was something he would do and his concern grew from there and from experience. But then again, if he called and Jessica heard Jackie in the background, it was over. And part of him didn't want Jackie to know he was calling her. He wasn't sure why he should feel guilty calling his own girlfriend, though. Hyde shook his head and got up. "Hey, Jackie!"

"What?!"

"I gotta make a phone call, so don't make any noise, ok?" God, he hoped she understood. "I'm gonna call Jessica!" he clarified and shut his eyes.

"Oh. Yeah, ok! Don't worry," she yelled back while a twinge of emotions jolted her heart. The soaking wet brunette dropped her head back and let the hot water massage her chest as she closed her eyes to think. Jessica _was_ his girlfriend. Of course he would call her. He wasn't going to be home tonight and she would wonder why…

Jackie straightened up. "Oh my God." Rinsing her hair out as quickly as possible, she cut her shower short and jumped out, wrapping a towel around herself before throwing another down by the door and dropping her body to the floor to eavesdrop. Would he tell her where he really was and who he was with? Were they really fighting as he had claimed?

"… _Look, I'm sorry, ok. I should've told you_." Then there was silence. Hyde was either listening or he was whispering, she couldn't tell, so she strained harder to listen, pressing her ear directly against the thin door. _"So you're not gonna talk to me then?" _he said next and then sighed curtly. He sounded frustrated to Jackie but not angry. _"Look, I miss you. Can we just stop this? I wasn't … I did … I tried but you fucking hung up on me! … Yesterday morning, right after it happened … No, I don't … Yeah … Hopefully … Yeah, I know. Me, too … I'm ok … Probably, and that's why I said I'm sorry … No, you just sounded like you didn't want to see me … And I do, ok … Yeah … Hey … You still mad at me?"_

At that last sentence, his words uttered so gently across the line, Jackie felt her eyes well up with tears that burned unusually warm. When he was hers, he had never reacted that way during a fight. Not that she remembered, anyway. He had rarely even cared when she was angry or upset with him, except after he had cheated, when he was worried about losing her. Closing her eyes, Jackie rested her head. But still, Jessica didn't know about that. This wasn't about cheating. This was something else. This was him caring about her feelings and their relationship. He wasn't on the phone, telling her to lower her standards or barraging her with 'I don't knows'. He was just… talking.

"_No,_ _I know … I miss you, too … Yeah … What …"_

Her reddened eyes to the ceiling, Jackie realized that she had never heard those words leave his lips before. 'I miss you.' Never once had he missed _her_. Only her nickname for him. That was all he would admit to anyway. Maybe he had missed her, a few times, she guessed, but he never said it. Not once. And everyone knows it's the words that count, especially anyone who ever had a boyfriend like Steven Hyde. Sometimes, the words meant everything.

"_What? … I didn't. I was just saying that … No … Jess, I swear. I haven't seen her since Halloween … Come on. You know she irritates the hell out of me … I can't stand her … Jessica, that was six years ago …_

"Five," Jackie growled angrily, her throat tightening. "It was freakin' five, you asshole."

"_Baby, I just said that to piss you off … I don't kn … Cause I'm a dick, okay!"_

"Well at least you got _that_ right. Jerk," Jackie muttered, wiping her eyes, pissed off at the foolish crush she had on him. Prior to Halloween, she had been over him, not even thinking about him unless someone brought his stupid ass up. Colin had her whole heart and then, somehow, in one night, Hyde crawled inside and kissed some of those old feelings back to life. But to him, still, she was nothing, and all that night did was taken her back to that dark place where Steven Hyde could make her cry. Colin still had her heart but Hyde was consuming her mind and that was a bad, bad thing. So, right there, on the bathroom floor, Jackie decided that enough was enough. But as she started to get up, she heard Hyde laugh quietly and pressed her ear back to the door.

"_Yeah … No … Uh, tomorrow … I am … Come on. Not tonight … Fine. Kiss … You better … Bye."_ She heard him hang up and dropped her head to the floor. He loved her and Jackie wondered again, how in the hell did Jessica get him to behave that way? But then a thought struck her. He never said 'I love you.' Almost immediately, though, she shook off the observation. He probably just forgot. He probably said it all the fucking time.

Her spirits deflated, Jackie stood up and dressed, turning on the fan to defog the mirror so she could put her make-up on and then get as far away from her ex-boyfriend as possible…

* * *

Twenty minutes later…

The alarm clock read 9:07 and it suddenly occurred to Hyde that Jackie was still in the bathroom. He, himself, had been slumped against the headboard of the bed, staring into the empty space between his ankles and thinking about the nightmare he was currently living in. Never in his life had two women controlled his mind so perfectly. One chick was a handful at any given moment, but two, two was brain damaging.

There was Jessica on the one hand, beautiful and sweet and foolishly in love with him. When she was talking, there was only her, no one else mattered, and together they had a language that no one else could translate. She understood him, and comforted him, without him having to say a word. And with her, he was content to simply stay home and lay for hours, watching TV and kissing her until their lips were swollen.

The thought made him smile. Truth be told, it was entirely possible that he loved her, and it was hard to imagine his life without her anymore. Before her, he had been lonely, and then she came along and eased him when he was restless, reassured him when he wasn't so sure, and loved him when he didn't deserve it, making him want so badly to be faithful and worthy of that love. But he wasn't and it was why he felt guilty and so compelled to make it up to her. Theirs, up until Halloween, had been his only untainted relationship. It was the one thing he hadn't screwed up. But now, it was like all the others, corrupted and flawed, because of him.

And that was just one hand. On the other, there was Jackie. Hyde shut his eyes and exhaled in frustration. She was even more beautiful and sexy and so god damn invigorating. But when she was talking, he wanted to kill her. The two of them spoke two totally different languages and yet, somehow, she understood him. Always had. And he was beginning to think that he understood her, too. That was new. There were so many other new things he was noticing about her, too, things that he had never discerned or experienced when they were young. She was passionate and loyal and when she kissed him, strange things happened inside his heart. New things. Old things. All felt incredible.

Truth be told, he still had feelings for her, but he knew that they could never be together, because together, they were explosive, and not always in a good way. But ironically, she, the girl he had grown up hurting, had been the first to take away his pain. She had believed in him when he was worthless, held him when he was impervious, loved him when no one else would and tonight, she stood by him, even after he had abandoned her years before, and a part of him couldn't tolerate another God-forsaken minute without her. That part wanted to barge through the bathroom door and apologize for every fucked up thing he had ever done and kiss her until their lips were swollen. Another part of him had accepted their fate years before and let her go, determined to move on.

It all seemed so cut and dry, and yet, he was conflicted. Both girls were so different that it was hard to compare them, but, at the same time, they were alike. Jessica let him be himself. Jackie expected better. Jessica didn't push him, not much anyway. Jackie pushed him every step of the way. But both had given him everything they had without asking for much in return and both knew how to lull him with the softest kisses that had ever touched his skin.

Suddenly, thoughts of Jackie's gentle kisses from earlier took over his mind and he closed his eyes. "Damn it," he muttered as he continued to sulk on the bed. Why was he even thinking about her? He had a girlfriend, one that he was pretty sure he could love. So why was he thinking about Jackie like she was some sort of option? Frustrated, he pressed his palms against his eyes. The fucking confusion even had him confused. He was with Jessica, now, and risking that would just be another mistake. He had let someone go once, way too hastily, because he was thinking with his dick and every one of his deep-seated insecurities. And now he was doing it again, running when things were getting too serious.

Right then, the bathroom doorknob clicked and Jackie emerged, red eyed and sniffling, but trying to hide it as she headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the bar."

"Jackie…"

"Don't talk to me, Steven. Just…" A stifled sob choked her words, "_don't, okay."_

Positive he knew why she crying, Hyde shot up from the bed. "Hey, I _had_ to say that to her, okay," he blurted out, wedging himself between the door and her body as he searched out her eyes. "Come on. What did you expect me to do? Tell her about us? Break up with her because you and I kissed a couple times?"

Jackie scrunched her face. "No! But…"

"Look. What happened with us was a mistake. I thought we already decided that."

Taken aback, Jackie furrowed her eyebrows. "So you regret it?"

As she waited for his response, Hyde forced himself to make a decision. "Yeah… I regret it," he said rather adamantly and decided that all thoughts of her would cease from that point on. They had to. "I wish it never happened."

Her heart twisting painfully, Jackie shook her head at him. "Then I can't be around you anymore, Steven. Cause I…" Her eyes fell to the floor, heavy from embarrassment and tears. "I don't regret it. And ever since that night I can't stop thinking about you and I don't want to! I really don't! I _love_ Colin. I swear to God, I do. But, for some reason, right now, I want _you_… so much, Steven," she cried, "and I hate myself for it."

All Hyde could do was stare at her, surprised and a little intimidated by her honesty. "You're… You're just mixed up because we slept together, Jackie. Girls, you know, they always get all fucked up from it," he said, thinking back to every chick who had cried to him after they had had sex, thinking his kisses had meant something, each thinking that _she_ had meant something to him. And apparently, Jackie was no different. But yet…she was.

"So what's _your_ excuse then?" she asked him as her tears slowed.

"My excuse for _what_?"

Curiously, Jackie stepped toward him. "For how you've been acting."

"How have I been acting?" he asked, trying his best to act as if her close proximity was having no effect on him. But she saw through it.

"Come on, Steven," she pushed, stepping closer with that expectant look that always made him nervous. "You've been thinking about me, too. Haven't you?"

Glancing at her lips, only inches from his, and feeling her hands on his hips, Hyde realized that the already minimal control he had was fading fast and quickly stepped around her to get away. "Go back to the bar, Jackie."

Jackie followed him, refusing to let him off that easy. "No, just tell me the truth for once, Steven. Come on, you pride yourself on being this _honest_ guy who won't lie but yet, you're the biggest liar I know."

Sitting down, Hyde turned up his palms in bewilderment. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're brutally honest when it's gonna hurt someone else, but when it might hurt _you_, you're a big, fat, liar liar pants on fire!"

At that, he just shook his head and sat back against the headboard, tucking a hand behind his head and turning on the TV. Two minutes and he was already tired of her shit. "Just get the hell outta here, Jackie."

"No." Jackie snatched the remote from his hand and turned it back off. "Tell me you think about me. Cause I know you do. I can see it."

"I don't," he insisted stubbornly, unwilling to look at her.

She was quiet for a moment but then he thought he heard the rehashing of tears and fought through his intense urge to check. "Just tell me you that you haven't thought about us, Steven, and I'll drop it."

Fuck it, he thought. He needed to do this. It was the only thing that would make her stop… that would make _him_ stop. Looking up, Hyde fixed a sincere gaze on her, speaking slowly so she would understand. "I don't _ever_ think about us, Jackie. It was just sex. Let it go."

Disillusionment and pain spread over her features as he spoke; causing him to turn away once he was done telling his third lie of the night. Jackie, on the other hand, kept her disbelieving eyes on him and dammed back tears. "So I was just another one of your easy lays. Is that what you're saying?"

Her voice was gentle but intense as she spoke and Hyde shut his eyes, his body and mind fatigued from the entire situation, from Jessica, from her. "Jackie, just go."

"Fine," she muttered as she tossed the remote onto his chest and briskly walked out the door, slamming it shut.

Hyde remained still for about thirty more seconds, staring back at that same empty space between his ankles, before hurling the remote control across the room. "Fuck!" he barked as he got up, grabbed his coat and walked out, too. He wasn't going to let her hang out in downtown Chicago alone. He may have done it back in '79, but this was '84 and things were different. He was different…

* * *

Mingles Pub

It was only a minute later when Jackie walked inside the crowded tavern and stalked up to the bar like she owned the place. Claiming a stool, she slapped the bar twice, having seen it in a movie once, and waved Carol over. "I'm gonna need a lot of shots, Carol, and fast."

The older woman strolled over smiling. "Well, I'm surprised to see you back here, tonight." Noticing the look on Jackie's face, she tilted her head. "What's the matter, sweetie?"

"Well apparently, it's that I'm not blonde with long legs and three different kinds of VD," Jackie snapped with a snotty grimace. "I hate men," she added capriciously. "All of them."

Carol grinned, slightly amused, a little curious, but more then willing to appease a scorned woman. "What's your poison?"

"Huh?" Jackie asked dumbly.

Carol laughed. "What do you wanna drink?"

"Oh. Um, something strong that won't make me puke."

"Something strong that won't make you puke' coming up," Carol repeated, going straight for a bottle of Southern Comfort. "Now, what on earth happened to you in the last hour that's got you so upset?" she queried as she poured. "That man of yours being a shit?"

"Hyde is _NOT_ my man." Jackie gripped her shot as Hyde walked up behind her, just in time to watch her angrily shoot back the amber liquid. "He is a shit, though. God, I hate him," she added, dejectedly. Wilbur's wife raised her eyebrows at Jackie and then flipped her eyes to clue the brunette in.

"Hey," Hyde said softly in Jackie's ear. "I thought we said we weren't gonna drink."

"Yeah, and I thought it was never gonna happen again," she retorted, not bothering to look at him. "Promises get broken, Steven. Get over it. I did." She smacked the bar again. "Carol, another!"

Frustrated with the night's turn of events, Hyde spun her chair toward him angrily. "What the hell is it you want from me, Jackie? I didn't…"

The brunette looked at Carol and raised her arm high, pointing at Hyde. "And bartender, could you please tell this lying, cheating, _stripper-loving_ bastard that I'm not interested in his sexual advances. Thanks." After giving Hyde a haughty smirk, Jackie chugged her shot and hit her palm to the bar again.

Hyde rolled his eyes and sighed, knowing that he had that coming. "Come on, Jackie. Can we please just talk for a minute?" His hand came to a rest on her hand, a gesture that would have normally been accepted, but tonight, she yanked it away.

"Don't _touch_ me," she practically growled with a charged-up hate in her eyes that shocked him. Her usually soft features turned hard as her 'Steven' walls flew up around her. "Don't you ever touch me! Ever again!"

"Jackie…"

"I think maybe you should go," a nearby patron, a woman, interrupted sincerely. "She obviously doesn't want to talk to you."

Carol nodded when she noticed that Jackie was on the verge of tears, struggling to hold up her heavy walls of defense. "Yeah, Wilbur's right over there, honey. She'll be fine here with us."

Hyde looked around. The entire bar was seated with women, all of whom were eyeing him as if he were some unwelcome predator. Turned again to Jackie, he realized that she was going to let them. She wouldn't even look at him. "Fine. I'll be over there if you need me," he told her crossly and then walked away. And once he was gone, Jackie's walls collapsed.

"God," she cried and dropped her head on the bar.

"So you just found out that he cheated on you, honey?" one of the women asked.

"No, that was a long time ago, when we were dating. I was just throwing it back in his stupid, whore-loving face," Jackie answered, bursting out into a slight laugh as the women smiled and laughed, too. Most had figured so much.

"Good girl."

On the other side of the bar, Hyde walked up on a hand of poker already in progress. "Hey."

"Hey Hyde," Wilbur responded, never looking up from his hand. "You got banished from the bar, didn't you?"

"Yep."

"Yeah, that happens a lot around here. We're outnumbered. Have a seat."

"So what'd you do?" Tommy asked him as he folded his hand. "I'm out. Call her mother a bitch? Looked at her the wrong way, what?"

Hyde sat down and looked around the table. "I uh, I married a stripper five years ago," he clarified with a doomed nod.

There were pained grimaces all around the table. "Ooooh."

Hyde took a deep breath. "Yeah."

* * *

Twenty minutes later…

Jaws dropped in pure shock as nine women gasped. "He stayed with her?!" Sadly, Jackie nodded her inebriated head.

"He sure did."

Colleen, a woman of about forty, straightened up and looked around. "Wait, hold on. So you practically begged him to just say that 'maybe' you 'might' get married 'some day' and he wouldn't do it?" Jackie shook her head to the negative while the woman continued. "But then, just a few weeks later, he married some random stripper?" Everyone stayed quiet, waiting for her answer. There had to be something missing from the story.

"That's exactly what he did, the jerk," Jackie confirmed, still a little stunned that these women actually wanted to hear her story, and seemed to even care, when her own friends hadn't.

"But you said he knew that you hadn't slept with Michael," Carol added, not following. "And he stayed with her anyway?" Jackie nodded, starting to feel the burn of tears creep into her sinuses. This was all so embarrassing to admit to. Being tossed aside for a dirty stripper, it wasn't one she told at many parties. No body knew except the necessary and trusted few.

The tears pushed but Jackie held them at bay. "I sure know how to pick 'em, don't I?"

"Oh, honey, you can stop anytime," one of the more observant ladies said. It was subtle, but they were all starting to notice that the pretty, dark-haired girl looked exhausted and far too sad for someone so young. But, to their surprise, she shook her head, because although her eyes were drowning in saline and her chest sat heavy with that old ache, she wanted to continue. It felt good to let it out, something only Fez, and later, Brooke, had taken the time to let her do.

Jackie took a cleansing breath and allowed a couple of stubborn tears through. They felt good and warm as they dosed her body with endorphins that dulled the pain, allowing her to continue. "No, see, we told him that nothing happened here, but I don't think he ever really believed it." In that moment, Jackie searched out Hyde and found that he was already looking at her. A hand of cards was fanned between his fingers and his eyes were gentle. She even thought she saw remorse there. "He was so angry back then…"

_October, 1979_

"_Ricky! Ethel was just up here and she made me so darn mad…" _

_Her eyes glued to the TV, Jackie smiled as she sat curled onto the basement couch, waiting for Fez to come pick her up. It was a Tuesday, in the middle of the afternoon, and she felt safe, knowing that Hyde would be at work and that she was probably with him. But just as Lucille Ball began to cry, Jackie heard footsteps on the stairs and cursed herself for being so stupid. _

_It was Wednesday. _

"_Sam, don't start this crap again, I…" Hyde stopped talking and Jackie cringed because she knew why. He had seen her on the couch and chose to maintain his and Sam's perfect marital image, the one he had created for her eyes only. Everyone else knew that they fought a lot; but everyone, including her, also knew that they fucked each other even more. It was why she hated this basement now. There was no more laughter, no more Michael, no more Eric Forman, and no more innocence, only Hyde and his whore and the sex that he loved to throw in her face. She had heard them once, a few weeks prior, panting and grunting, flesh smacking flesh, hard and rough, while Sam pleaded with him to fuck her harder and, going by the deafening screams that followed, he had complied. Jackie didn't listen long, though. Instead, she ran home to throw up and then hysterically sob herself into a practical coma while Fez rocked her back and forth to sleep. But that was nothing compared to this. _

_Never taking her eyes off the TV, Jackie prayed that they would just go straight into his bedroom so she could make an exit with what was left of her dignity. But they didn't. Instead, they both sat down on Hyde's chair, her on his lap, and acted as if she wasn't there at all. At first, she was glad, but that changed when Sam began to suck on his earlobe and rub at the bulge in his pants. Frozen and horrified and suddenly feeling completely invisible to the world, Jackie fixed her eyes on Ricky Ricardo, but there was no more noise coming from his mouth, no more laugh track, no more laughs. She should just get up, she thought to herself, walk out the door and never look back. It was all gone anyway. There was nothing left to even look back at._

_Something made her look over, though. But rather than being the observer she thought she was, she was the one being watched. Cold, blue eyes stared back at her, haunted and pained, and unblinking until his eyes closed briefly out of reaction to what Sam was doing to him—making him hard. Jackie looked at the thick shape in Sam's hand and back up at Hyde. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted him to see what he was doing to her. For a moment, he looked miserable, remorseful even, but then his eyes dulled, turning vacant as Sam continued to kiss him. They narrowed a bit on her, though, and it was then that she felt a warm tear streak down her cheek, a tear that didn't seem to faze him at all. _

_From that point on, her body felt like it was disengaging from the room. It hurt so much and all happened too fast for her to look away when she should have. Her eyes were still glued to his when Sam's hand landed on his cheek and turned his head. And, knowing that she was still watching, Hyde kissed Sam as if she were the most desirous thing he'd ever touched, pulling the metaphorical trigger on whatever it was that he and Jackie had ever had. Cause if it wasn't dead yet, he kicked it, aimed his weapon, Sam, and pulled the trigger, killing it forever as he and his whore laughed and laughed._

_In the next moment, Jackie's body returned to her control and she walked out of the basement and all the way home, not to throw up or cry against Fez's chest, but to lay on her bed and stare at her ceiling as runaway tears washed her hardened face clean…_

* * *

Fifteen minutes later…

"Well, it's Reagan for another four years," Wilbur declared angrily and threw down his crappy hand as his wife walked up with a tray full of beers. "Hey, baby. Can you believe that? Reagan won by a landslide."

"The glasses need washing," she said in response and he nodded. "Ok, boys. Another round." Carol placed a frosty, cold mug of Budweiser in front of five of the six men at the table, stopping at Hyde. "And for the stripper lover…" She placed down a glass of warm, watered down Kool-Aid and a bowl of caramel corn with a sardonic smile. "From all the ladies at the bar."

Confused, Hyde looked up to see Jackie wave and give him a snotty smile. "Choke on that, Hyde."

"Oh, man," Tommy shockingly chuckled. "What the _hell_ did you do?"

Hyde sighed, dreading the long night ahead. "I woke up this morning…"

To Be Continued.

* * *

**A/N2:** Is the torch-carrying, angry mob on its way now? Do I at least get a head start? Is anybody still here? I'm sorry, you guys. Things will improve. I know it seems like I'm jerkin' your chains, right now, but I'm totally not. I've jerked a lot of things in my time, but never chains. I swear. Please review, even if to say goodbye… 


	14. Chapter 14

♥ **Chapter 14 – Mission: Impossible, circa 1978 **♥

**A/N:** Thanks so much for your reviews and trust, re: last chapter. I will try my best to deserve it. Ok, this chapter: It's complicated. There are two flashbacks split into seven, so really, seriously, _pay attention to those dates_. And it's long. Basically, look at this story as being separated into three acts. This chapter represents the end of Act I. So it ended up being _really long_ because I had to finish up. I just hope the ending makes up for my long-windedness...

**WARNING:** This chapter is rated M for sexual situations and language.

* * *

**Previously:**

"And for the stripper lover…" Carol placed down a glass of warm, watered down Kool-Aid and a bowl of caramel corn with a sardonic smile. "From all the ladies at the bar."

Confused, Hyde looked up to see Jackie wave and give him a snotty smile. "Choke on that, Hyde."

* * *

_September 2, 1978 – 1:27 am…_

_It wasn't Hyde's favorite position, nor one he was very proud of, but it was getting the job done, stealthily and quietly, and taking him where he wanted to go. Resting on all fours, he stretched up and peeked over the Pinciotti couch at a sleeping Bob. _

"_That a Bob," he muttered, crouching back down when Donna's dad grumbled and rolled over. Damn it. That was close. Just nine or ten more feet, he estimated, and began to crawl, past the door, until he finally reached the stairs and stood, slapping his hands on his pants while he looked up at the second floor with a grin. All those years of B & Es had paid off. It's why good girls love bad boys, he told himself - they could sneak in undetected._

_With his tongue slung out of his mouth like a menacing child, Hyde ran up the steps in twos and stopped at Donna's door, pushing it open carefully. The redhead was sound asleep in her bed and the brunette—He smirked—lay in wait._

"_Steven!" she whispered happily. "Oh my God. You're crazy!"_

"_Shh," he hushed as Jackie giggled and raised her arms to reach out to him. Quietly, he moved over to her cot, gripping the edges so he could lower his body over hers, and stopped only when their lips connected in a hungry, impatient kiss. At this point in his life, he had been unable to get enough of her and after almost three months apart and an entire summer without sex, he was raring to go. _

'_Fucking Donna', his brain cursed as Jackie's tongue teased his over and over, why couldn't she have just left for a couple of days? He had been looking forward to getting Jackie in the redhead's bed that night, but here they were instead, on another god damn cot. But it wasn't so bad, he decided. Beneath him, Jackie seemed to be starving for his mouth while her legs spread wide and her agile hips rolled, increasing the friction between them. "God, Jackie. Come on," he whispered huskily as they kissed. "Let's go somewhere." _

"_Where?" she pouted angrily, letting her body go limp, "Everywhere we go, one of those dumb asses shows up. It's like they're all part of a plot to keep us from doing it."_

_His eyebrow arched. God damn it, she was hot when she was conspiratorial and pissed off. It meant only one thing to him at that moment: hot, angry, paranoid sex. "Fuck, Jackie. Let's go," he insisted. "Wrap your legs around me." _

_Jackie did and, with a mischievous grin, distracted him again with her tongue as he picked her up. "Oh God, baby," he groaned a little too loudly when he settled her body on his hips and felt her pressure rest on the part of him that had been aching for her for months. "I can't take it anymore, Jackie. We gotta find somewhere." _

"_Then let's go," she panted in between their frenzied kisses._

"_Where?"_

"_Anywhere." _

_He took a step with her but froze when Donna grumbled and turned. _

"_Just go," Jackie whispered. _

_But before he could, the redhead sat up. "What the hell are you two doing?"_

_Hyde's eyes widened. "Uh, Uh…"_

"_Great job, Steven," Jackie said, rolling her eyes before turning to her roommate. "We're going to have sex, Donna. Somewhere in your house. So just…Go back to sleep!" _

"_Whatever. Just stay away from the kitchen," a half-awake Donna ordered and plopped back down on her bed, rolling over instantly. _

_Jackie narrowed her eyes._ "_Of course it would be all about food with her," she scoffed and then smiled at Hyde. "Let's go, baby."_

"_Where?"_

_At that simple question, the beautiful, young brunette in his arms grinned evilly and pressed her forehead to his. "To the kitchen."_

_Through his awe, Hyde smirked. "Damn, I missed you…"_

**November 6, 1984 – 10:39 pm**

Chicago, Illinois - Mingles Pub

What is it, again, that they tell a man when he's about to go into battle, or off to war, or to the mall with his girlfriend? Anywhere, really, where life and limb are continuously threatened by an embittered enemy - What is it they say? 'Take care of yourself, son.' – 'It's gonna be dangerous over there.' - 'Don't be a hero. Just bring yourself back alive.'

Yeah. Those were it.

Standing with his back against a forest green wall near the bathroom hallway, Hyde pushed his memories of Jackie aside to consider those very gems that had so wisely been passed down to him only minutes before.

'Don't be a hero out there, man. Just bring yourself back in one piece,' Rich had uttered, accompanied by a pat on the back.

'Take care of yourself, son,' Wilbur so wisely said. 'It's brutal out there.'

'We'll cover you,' Tommy had promised. 'Unless you get caught. Then you're on your own, man.'

Nervously, Hyde scanned the area around him again for any hint of perfume, the clackity-clack of heels or the jingle of a purse full of crap, but found that the enemy was not within range. Still, though, his foot was tapping furiously and his hands were clammy as hell. God damn it. This was ridiculous. He felt like an idiot. But it was the only way, he thought as he made a run for it, tucking himself into the bathroom hallway, still unseen.

Phase one of 'Operation Kool-Aid Blows' was a success and Hyde stuck out his tongue in celebration. These chicks couldn't beat him. He grew up poor, the equivalent of Navy Seal training for the civilian world. They had nothing… except for all the god damn beer. After waiting impatiently for another minute, he heard a toilet flush and the sink start and a minute later, the door opened. "Jackie," he blurted, stepping in front of her. "Hey."

"No." His mildly intoxicated ex-girlfriend raised a hand to him. "I don't wanna talk to you, Steven."

"No, I know. But do you think," He looked around and stepped closer to her, nearly pinning her against the wall. "Jackie, come on. I'm starving and I want a beer." Studying his desperate eyes for a moment, Jackie sighed and folded her arms, willing to hear his case. It was clear, at first, that Hyde was bewildered by her silent response, but eventually, he caught on. "Uh, okay. Um… All I had today was cold pizza, and that potato and half of a soggy funnel cake."

Jackie sneered. He was _way_ off and obviously Jessica wasn't doing her job as a woman properly. The boy was rusty. _"And?!"_

"And…" he attempted with a struggling frown before the light finally went on in his head. "Oh! Oh! And uh… Man, you look really hot tonight. Definitely the hottest chick in Chicago. No! In all of Illinois," he corrected and then put on an annoyingly arrogant grin.

Jackie's arms fell to her sides anyway. _All_ of Illinois? Damn it, she couldn't argue with that. "Fine. I'll tell them to let you have some," she said but then pointed strictly. "But then you stay away from me."

A frown came over him. "So what, you're just not gonna talk to me at all now? Don't you think we should…"

Hand up, Jackie stopped him again. "No, I don't. We spent many, many years _not _talking, Steven. And you know what I'm realizing? It was _fabulous_," she spat and moved to walk away, but stopped. "And if you want some pizza, you dope, just come over and get it. They're not gonna make you starve."

Hyde grimaced. "Yeah, they are. You made all the broads in this place hate me, Jackie, and I'm not gonna just leave you here alone, especially while your smashed," he said, flipping his hand at her with irritation, or maybe it was jealousy. "So I'm stuck here, being called 'Stripper lover' and refused drinks."

Try as she might, Jackie could not avoid the grin that took over her entire face. "They gave you Kool-Aid," she snickered. "And caramel corn. I don't even know why you're complaining."

Hyde stared at her, not amused in the least. "So this is funny to you?" Seeing the angry look that sat on his bruised face, Jackie fought harder to keep her smiles at bay. She had seen him like this before. His arms were folded, his face stern, his lips were pinched tightly, forcing him to breathe through his nose. He was pissed, and she couldn't help but chuckle. "You know what? Forget it. I'm not gonna stand here kiss your ass all night, if that's what you were thinking," he spat and started to turn around.

Jackie's guilt finally caught up with her, and she had to laugh again as she grabbed his arm to stop his retreat. "Alright, wait. Fine. I'll tell Carol to let you have some beer and pizza. Just come up and get it. And they don't hate you. They're just pissed off for me… at all the stupid crap you've pulled."

Growing angrier, Hyde dropped his arms and took a defensive stance. "God damn it, Jackie. Why does the whole fucking world have to know our history?" All she had to offer him was a shrug for an answer, making it worse. "So what are you saying? That I'm just never gonna live that down. I'm just gonna be the 'asshole that married the stripper' for the rest of my God damn life?" Unsure of what to tell him, she just shrugged again. She had no idea. Maybe he would be. "See, _this_, right here, Jackie, is why I called Jessica. This is why you and I should have never started this crap up again… Don't you get it?" he tried to finally explain. "I haven't screwed up with her yet. And she doesn't look at me like I'm a piece of shit."

Stunned, Jackie's brow furrowed. She was a little staggered by how serious he was being _and_ by his mention of the two of them. They had started something? "Steven, I don't look at you like that. I just…" Jackie stopped, relaxing her expression. Maybe she did. "I don't know, I guess, maybe, Sam still pisses me off."

"You said you were over it."

Confused, Jackie corrected her statement. "And I am. I just…"

"Then quit talking about it!" he snapped.

At that, Jackie's jaw clenched. _"Fine."_

Narrowing his eyes, Hyde shook his head as they glared at each other, knowing that the scorn on her face would never change. He was the 'Stripper-lover,' the bastard that abandoned her for a whore… for life. He watched her eyes narrow, too.

"I said _fine…_ _Hyde," _she growled. "Now get out of my way."

_Hyde._ Of course, he thought as he stepped to the side. "Fine."

"Good," she retorted with her back still against the wall.

"Good," he sneered.

"Fine."

Wearing his cockiest grin, Hyde refolded his arms. "You can leave now."

"Ugh! Fine! Just… get your stupid beer and go away," she bit and walked off.

"I will!" he called out and watched her entire journey back to the busy bar, completely frustrated with her and yet, somehow, totally turned on by her at the same time. It was all so fucked up. But once, there was a place, there _was_ a time, when she was forgiving, when _he_ was forgivable, and nothing in the world could stop them, not even Bob…

…_September 2, 1978…_

_Looking from left to right and then left again, Hyde used a head gesture to direct Jackie forward across the entryway of the Pinciotti house. Hand in hand, and determined as hell, the two crept as far as the living room and stopped when Hyde raised his fist, stuck two fingers up (translation: the Bob is still on the couch) and pointed down._

"_I am not crawling!" she whispered._

"_Shhh!!" Hyde gruffly hushed, irritated that she wasn't following his plan of complete stealth. "You're gonna blow our cover, Jackie! Now do you wanna do it in the kitchen or not?" Angrily, she looked away and then turned back to him with a nod. So, once again, and with more force, Hyde pointed down while she gave a more resolute nod, coupled with a wink. _

_With the mission confirmed, for the second time, Hyde made firm visual contact with his girlfriend and aimed two fingers from her eyes to his (translation: watch what I do), then proceeded to point a single digit at her before thumbing forward (translation: then you follow). To complete his battle plan, Hyde smirked and pitched his eyebrows (translation: then I fuck you senseless). Jackie smiled and nodded and, this time, it was Hyde who winked before charging ahead…_

* * *

November 6, 1984 – 10:51 pm

Mingles Pub

'Cry Baby Cry' by the Beatles plays on the jukebox.

Reclaiming her seat, Jackie let out a frustrated growl and leaned over the bar, grabbing a giant bowl of cherries that she was hoping would mask the nasty taste that Hyde's bullshit had left in her mouth. Through her peripheral vision, she watched his blurred form walk back to the poker table and sit down. Who the hell did he think he was anyway? It was 'why he called Jessica.' Jackie angrily shoved a handful of cherries into her mouth. Why the hell did he think she gave a crap _who_ he called? She scoffed and looked up as Carol took the bowl away from her.

"Honey, I need those."

Jackie's shoulders slumped. "Oh. Sorry. It's just… It's almost like he _wants_ me to be jealous, you know?"

Carol toddled around, cleaning up as the brunette vented, obviously searching for a sympathetic ear to listen. "Jealous of what, honey?"

"Of Jessica," Jackie said and laughed at the absurdity of it, quite feebly in Carol's quiet opinion. "And, I … I am just … I am _not_ jealous of Jessica! The only reason I got mad was because he told her I annoy him and cause … Well, why is he so freakin' nice to her when they fight?! When he was always such a jerk to me! It doesn't make any sense! I'm prettier than she is, Carol."

"Of course you are, sweetie," the older woman responded, handing the preoccupied brunette her own smaller bowl of cherries. "Now, who's Jessica?"

"His girlfriend," Jackie answered, popping one in her mouth.

"He has a girlfriend?"

"Oh… yeah," she snarled, shoving another fistful of red fruit between her ever reddening lips. "Did I forget to mention that? He has a stupid, blond girlfriend with perfect teeth."

Carol stopped and grimaced. "So is she like the other one? The stripper?"

"Jessica? _No," _Jackie answered disappointedly. "She's actually normal." Tilting her head to the side, she tried to figure out how to describe the quiet blonde. "In a nutshell, she's gorgeous and went to college… and has boobs," she grumbled, looking down while she cupped her own small breasts. "It's what he likes, I guess."

Carol pouted sympathetically with her new friend. "Sweetie. I'm sure she has nothing on you. But I have to say, I'm a little confused. You and Steven broke up _five_ years ago, right?" Jackie nodded. "-and have barely talked since then," Jackie nodded again. "-but now that he has a serious girlfriend, you want him back?"

"No. No," Jackie corrected. "I don't want him back. I just… I mean, how could I after everything he did?" Mostly to appease herself, she shook her head curtly and affirmed her position. "No. I'm totally over him. And plus, I have a boyfriend… a _really_ great one."

"You do?"

Jackie nodded. "Uh huh."

"Well, honey. If you have a boyfriend … and he has a girlfriend … and you're over him … and he's over you … then … what's the problem?"

The beautiful face on one Miss Jacquelyn Burkhart fell, turning pensive as she went over Carol's question in her head. What _was_ the problem? Not much time, though, did she waste pondering, because the answer scared her to death…

* * *

A few minutes earlier…

"So, I take it 'Operation Kool-Aid Blows' was a failure," Wilbur remarked when his young new friend slouched back down in his seat, completely empty-handed - no pizza, no beer, no pride.

"No. She said she'd call off the hit, though. For now," Hyde explained miserably and grabbed the new hand that was dealt to him. "Thanks… Except I have to go up there and get it myself… and she's more pissed at me now than she was before." He scoffed and tossed two quarters in. "I'm in…This is a nightmare, man."

Thoughtfully, Wilbur shook his head. "Hey, Rich. Don't start yet. I'm gonna go get this kid a beer…and some pizza. Screw these broads. It's my bar."

A grateful grin washed over Hyde's face as Wilbur stood. "Awesome. Thanks, man." he said, putting up his fist in solidification. Looking around the table as the older man took off for the bar, Hyde nodded at the remaining three. "Beer."

All of them returned the happy nod as Tommy sat back in his seat, laughing. "Man, you've screwed up way past the flower zone and moved straight into jewelry hell. At this point, that's your quickest route out of the doghouse, my friend, especially with that feisty girlfriend of yours," he said, gesturing toward Jackie.

"Her? She's not my girlfriend. She's my ex," Hyde corrected and looked around warily at the shocked faces that horseshoed him. "My girlfriend's in Minneapolis right now…What?"

One of the men, Rich, grimaced. "Your ex? She's just your ex?" He slumped back in his seat. "Man. Why the hell are you taking all this bullshit from her then?"

"Have you ever had an ex-girlfriend, man," Hyde asked.

Rich blew out a big breath. "Good point…Damn…Wait. So, then your current chick just lets you hang out with your ex and she doesn't care?"

"Uh…no," Hyde answered, "No. If my chick knew that I was hanging out with Jackie, my nuts would be in a vice right now."

"So I take it she doesn't know that you're nailing the brunette then," Tommy threw in with a knowing smirk, making Hyde grin warily, quickly turning it into a guilty laugh.

"I'm not…We haven't…Crap," Hyde grumbled, wondering how the hell he was going to maintain the lie to Jessica if these old geezers got him flustered. "No. She has no clue, man."

Tommy laughed. "I knew it! There's no way a broad can get _that_ pissed if you're not puttin' it to her," he said and shook his head. "Man, you're just asking for trouble. This kinda shit never turns out in the man's favor, and I say that from experience. Just pick one and move on."

Before Hyde could respond, the third man at the table, Jerry, who, to Hyde, sounded eerily like Leo, got his attention with an excited smile. "Hey, if it were me, dude, I'd pick the spunky little brunette you came in with. Whoo," he hooted. "She's a hot little thing, man. Looks like a lot of fun, too."

Through the crowded bar, Hyde's smiling eyes searched, and eventually found, Jackie. 'Hot little thing' was a glaring understatement. She was beautiful, always had been, and… "Yeah. We used to have a lot of fun," he muttered…

…_September 2, 1978…_

_From behind the couch, and, after checking briefly to make sure she was all clear, Hyde waved Jackie over. She looked apprehensive at first, but down on all fours she went, anyway, and began to crawl toward him cautiously, her body taking on a shape that transported his mind back to the gutter. Her shoulders rolled like a cat's and her hips followed, causing the tiny nightgown she was wearing to creep up to the small of her back, revealing little white panties to him. Hyde grinned when she arrived. "Now go back and do it again," he whispered, reaching out to cup her face._

_Without hesitation, she smiled and kissed him, making him forget where they were as he pulled her onto his lap and let his hands slide up her thighs to the thin material that barely covered her. Her skin was so soft and smooth to his touch that when he reached her ass and gently forced her hips into a slow grind over him, he had to make himself stop. "We can't do this right here," he pulled his lips away and explained, glancing back at the couch. "I can't have a hard-on this close to Bob."_

_Grimacing, Jackie nodded back and backed off of his lap. "Ew," she whispered. "Yeah, let's go." _

_But while Hyde was busy repeating his silent directives to her, Bob Pinciotti sat up and opened his eyes…_

* * *

Thirty minutes later. 11:37 pm…

'Cry' by Godley and Crème permeates through the crowded bar.

An older woman, in her 50s, going by the name of Judy, grabbed her heart while Carol shook her head and made herself a banana daiquiri. "I can't believe that!" Judy gasped. "He was gonna kill that boy Chris for you. Because he hurt you. Oh."

"Oh my God, that is so sexy," a younger woman of about thirty commented. "Which one is he?" she asked Carol.

The female bartender pointed. "See where Wilbur's sitting…"

Looking around, Jackie smiled, basking in all the attention she was getting. It was like high school all over again and the cheerleading squad was asking her about her summer with Steven Hyde, unable to believe that she had actually ditched her pretty-boy boyfriend for the rebel, the bad boy. It made her dangerous and adventurous and they all clamored for every sordid detail. And when he would look over and give her a nod, the girls would swoon and start up again.

A younger girl, about her age, giggled and scooted up to Jackie. "Alright, keep going. You guys went into your apartment _and_…"

"And…" Jackie smiled…

_June 18, 1982_

_She had been holding a warm, wet washcloth to her temple, watching as Hyde glared out the window, when the strangeness of the situation finally hit her. He was spending the night. And it was going to be a nightmare. She just knew it._

_Hyde turned around. "Well he's finally fuckin' gone. I thought I was gonna have to go back out there and kick his ass again."_

"_Good," she answered, taking a glimpse at the bloodied cloth before placing it back on her head. "God, I'm gonna have a scar now."_

_Next to her, Hyde sat down, his features teeming with angry signals. Every part of his body appeared tense—his hands, his legs, his jaw, his lips—until the pressure apparently got to be too much and he exploded. _

"_Jackie, what the hell are you doing with a guy with that?! Huh?! You live on your own, man! You can't just bring every fuckin' loser in here! You gotta be smarter than that!" Through stunned eyes, Jackie could see that he was pissing himself off more and more with his own rant. "Did that piece of shit hit you before tonight?!"_

"_No. God," she brusquely responded. "I'm not an idiot, Hyde. I'm just, obviously, a bad judge of character."_

"_Obviously," he concurred._

_Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Don't you dare judge me. You didn't treat me much better."_

"_What?" he blurted out heatedly. "What the hell are you talking about, Jackie? That guy threw a God damn remote control at your head! Don't compare me with him." _

"_Whatever," Jackie rolled her eyes and muttered. He could believe what he wanted, but what he had done hurt worse than what Chris had done. At least that pain would be gone by morning. Beside her, Hyde shook his head and smoothed his hands over his face. The knuckles on his right hand were cut and swollen, and on the left, they were beet red. "Thank you, though," she added sincerely, realizing that he could have hung up on her. He could have ignored her call. But he hadn't. "You don't have to stay." _

_To that, Hyde sighed and looked over, the anger absent from his face. "Jackie, I'm not gonna leave you here alone," he replied and sat back. Awkwardly, she did, too, and wondered what the night had in store for them. Other than a brief conversation at Bob and Midge's reception, and a few vicious burns, they hadn't spoken in over a year. And he was so different now. From what she had heard, he was persistently drunk and spent most of his time with sluts he met at the bar he practically lived at. Basically, they had nothing in common. Not that they ever did. But, now, added to that, they were strangers. What in the hell would they talk about?_

_Twenty minutes later…_

_Hyde folded his arms. "I'm not wearing those."_

"_Hyde! Your jeans are filthy and this couch is brand new! Put 'em on!" Jackie ordered, stomping her foot to drive home her insistence._

"_No," he refused defiantly and pointed a warning finger at her. "I'm not wearing his clothes. And if you freakin' kick me, Jackie, I swear to God, you're on your own tonight."_

"_Well you're not sleeping on my couch with those jeans on!"_

"_Fine," he spat and stalked into her bedroom, returning a few minutes later in only his t-shirt and boxers. And as he did, Jackie just rolled her eyes and pointed at the couch, where the softest blanket and fluffiest pillow she owned lay on top. "Thanks."_

"_Just get under the blanket," she snapped. "I don't need to see your…business." He promptly gave her a cocky grin and she had to look away or she would smile, too. It was the last thing she wanted. She was supposed to be angry with him. _

_Hyde lay down, and for the next twenty minutes, as he watched TV, they both remained quiet, playing look-away tag until Jackie finally spoke. "I'm really sorry about tonight."_

_Hyde glanced at her. "Why?"_

"_For bothering you. It's Friday night and you probably had plans," she lured and waited for him to respond. She was curious about his life and was fishing, apparently very badly because he wasn't taking the bait. "You know, with your girlfriend," she added._

"_She's not my girlfriend," Hyde responded flatly, never taking his eyes off the TV. "She's just a friend."_

_Jackie forced a laugh. "You mean one of those 'friends' you have sex with?"_

"_Yeah, something like that," he muttered impassively, still not looking at her. _

_Jackie sighed and bit at the inside of her cheek. She couldn't help but speculate at what he was could be thinking about. Looking at him, though, he didn't appear to be thinking about anything. He seemed so disinterested with everything. Aloof, she thought, rolling her eyes, and wondered if it was his bullshit act or if he really was that numb to the world around him. Whatever it was, he was different. This wasn't the Steven Hyde that she had fallen in love with. He was long gone and she tried to figure out who the hell was on her couch. _

_It was immediately after his return from Vegas that his personality had begun to suffer its metamorphosis, changing until, eventually, the man that lived deep inside of him, the soul that only she was allowed to know, her Pudding Pop, her baby, died without saying goodbye. That was how Jackie chose to look at it. It was delusional, she knew, but it had gotten her through the pain in one piece. Because it was easier to mourn his death than to think that he, who she had truly believed to be perfect right down to his fingertips, could actually be a monster inside. _

_Thankfully, Jackie decided, she had missed most of his transformation, but she was pretty sure she knew what happened. She knew him. He was reckless with his freedom and, without anyone there to reel him in when he wandered too far from himself, he got lost. Part of her felt guilty, feeling as though she'd abandoned him somehow. _

_Suddenly, Jackie's thoughts moved to the sharp pain in her head, and Chris finally entered her mind again. He had been so wonderful in the beginning and made her laugh everyday, but he also had a temper when he was drunk, and tonight, he was. Pulling her knees to her chin, Jackie began to cry quietly. Even with Hyde in the room, she felt alone, like she was never going to find him, the great love of her life, the man she was going to marry. _

"_Jackie." She looked up at Hyde through her tears. "C'mere," he said gently, scooting back against the couch and raising his blanket in invite. "Lay with me." Immediately, Jackie broke into sobs and rushed over to him, dropping her knee down on the cushion and falling into his arms, letting out all the tears she would ever cry over Chris onto his shoulder. His arms closed around her tightly. "Hey. Come on, Jackie," he soothed as she burrowed her face between his head and the pillow. "There's no reason to cry over this. Shit happens, you know, to all of us."_

"_No, it only happens to me," she cried. "I'm such a loser. God! What is it about me, Hyde? Why do all men want to hurt me so much?"_

"_Jackie… It's not you."_

_Not another word left his mouth as she cried against him. Instead, he just held her close and watched TV, she guessed, until her tears were all cried out. In return, she kept her arms coiled around his head, her face tucked underneath; hiding from the low lamplight that she knew would hurt her eyes. And for a moment, she felt content, even while being sheltered by her worst enemy. It was a temporary ceasefire, a brief truce, a moment in between the firefight to breathe. "Steven?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Can we watch Dynasty now?" Jackie felt his chest expand against hers and the resulting breath tickle her cheek. He apparently wasn't a fan, but in the next instant, the channel changed and she heard the snarling diatribe of Alexis Carrington excite the room. "Oh! That's it!" she exclaimed with a smile and flipped over, instantly working to make herself comfortable. She slipped her bare feet between his calves and nuzzled her head into the pillow while Hyde pulled the blanket over her shoulders. "Put your arm around me, Hyde," she demanded and then grabbed his hand when it reached her stomach, unabashedly moving it up to her chest. "No. Like this." _

_Hugging onto his forearm, Jackie lay and watched her favorite show, allowing herself to get lost in the drama of others as Hyde remained quiet behind her. _

_It must have been a mere fifteen minutes later, though, during an onscreen catfight, when she felt thick, rough fingers push her hair away from her neck. Her mind immediately returned to the body behind her. The reason for what he did was unclear, at first, but quickly became apparent when his lips found the spot she liked best and kissed her softly. A heavy fog washed over her and Jackie closed her eyes, permitting him to do it again, and again, until his kisses began to intensify and his tongue finally made contact. "Oh God, Steven," she moaned, reaching back to feel his soft curls. "What are you doing?"_

"_Does it feel good?"_

"_Uh huh," she admitted breathily. It felt incredible._

"_Good," he whispered back and pushed all of her hair over the top of their pillow, exposing the sensitive nape of her neck and making her body quiver at the simple feeling of his mouth on her flesh. Chills worried her spine and traveled around her body when his hand began to massage her breast. "God. I missed you so much," he moaned between kisses, immediately waking her up from her haze._

"_Wait a second," Jackie bellowed, elbowing him and rolling over as he groaned from the pain. "Uh uh! NO!" _

"_Ah! Damn. What's the matter?" She studied him carefully, but the only emotions she could find on his face were concern and pain. "What'd I do?"_

"_What's the matter? ... What'd you do?" she aped scornfully and slapped his chest. "You were gonna burn me, again, weren't you?!" Pure anger made her smack him a few more times for good measure and also because it just felt so damn good…_

Carol and several other women laughed while Jackie just shrugged. "Well, it did. Come on, the bastard had it coming," she added, her serious expression turning into a giggle. "Anyway, so when I finished smacking him, he just looked at me, shocked…"

"_What the hell are you freaking out about?" he asked._

"_Yeah, you wish, Jackie!!" she reminded him loudly and moved to get up. But his arms stopped her and effortlessly pulled her back down toward him, holding on tight as she squirmed. "Let me go!"_

"_No." And with his forearm only inches from her mouth, she felt no other choice but to bite down hard. "Ow! God damn it, Jackie! I wasn't gonna burn you," he said as he let go of her and rubbed the spot on his flesh now perforated with teeth marks. Jackie sat up and turned to look at him. She wanted to stay mad, but his eyes weren't swimming with the usual glints of anger and hate. Instead, they were downcast with what looked like genuine disappointment. "You didn't have to bite me."_

_Her shoulders relaxed in guilt while both she and Hyde lingered in silence, waiting for the other to speak. "So, you weren't messing with me like before?" she eventually asked._

"_No." _

_Jackie waited to respond, hoping for more. _

"_Look. I'm sorry, okay," he said quietly, his eyes now full of embarrassment. And beyond all of his scruff, she even thought she saw his cheeks flush pink. "I guess I shouldn't have done that just now."_

"_Why did you?" she asked him. But he only shrugged despondently. "Hyde?" she tried again, but he said nothing. "Steven?" _

_That seemed to do it. He immediately looked up. "I don't know…maybe…I guess…I miss you," he confessed apprehensively with his gaze falling to his hands. He shrugged again. "I don't know."_

"_You miss me? Steven, you hate me." _

"_I don't… I…" He pulled in a sharp breath when her brow furrowed. "Okay, so maybe I haven't been that civil…"_

_Jackie put her palms up in complete confusion. "Civil? Steven, you kissed me and then laughed at me when I thought…" _

"_I know what I did, Jackie," he interjected and looked up. "Look, I'm really sorry about that, okay. I was drunk and… Okay, maybe, at the time, I hated you but I don't now." Hyde paused and stared at her, apparently waiting for some sort of reaction but she gave him nothing. "Fine… If you want me to go, I will. But can't we at least talk about it? Trying again."_

"_No, Hyde. We can't just 'try again'," she said, letting all of her old pain rise to the surface, her face revealing all he would ever need to know. "You hurt me too much. You stomped on my heart until I gave up on everything. And you won, Hyde. I stopped loving you, just like you wanted."_

"_But it's not what I wanted," he said sincerely, and she could see it plainly on his face that it was something he just realized._

"_But it's what happened," she said sorrowfully. And as Hyde's disillusioned eyes rendered hers immobile, Chris' tears became his and there was no more to say. With unexpected ease, Jackie decided that the one drop she let escape was the last he was ever going to squeeze from her and the sudden sense of independence made her smile. She was truly over him and, somehow, just saying those few, bottled up words, freed her entirely from his grasp. _

"_Hyde?" she asked through new lips, wiping her single tear away as she lay back down beside him, and for old time's sake, guided his head to her breast, where he rested comfortably and closed his eyes. "Would you do something for me?"_

"_What?"_

"_Say goodbye to me. Just once. Please… I'll rub your shoulders," she sang temptingly._

_Hyde grinned and looked up at her, soaking in her every feature for so long that she wondered if he was going to deny her of her unusual request. But then, his lips parted and he shrugged. "Bye, Jackie," he said simply, as if they would see each other in the morning, but knowing that they wouldn't. _

_And as Hyde lay his head back down, Jackie smiled gently and gave it a forgiving kiss. "Bye, Steven." _

_For the next hour, they lay while she rubbed his back and shoulders, scratching at his head and arms and giving to him all that he really wanted, all that he had been needing for so long - just a little quiet affection. And like that, they watched television until, eventually, both drifted off to sleep, ready to leave the day behind and start a new one in the morning…_

Carol shook her head, as her heartbroken eyes lay on the young storyteller before her. "That is so sad, honey. All that time, he still loved you."

"No," Jackie said, shaking her head. "He didn't. He was just lonely…and tired.

"No, I agree with Carol," another woman chimed in. "He was still in love with you."

"I think so, too," Judy interrupted thoughtfully. "I'm starting to think that his earlier behavior was just because he was too young to be in love. He wasn't ready for you. And I'll bet it was around that night with Chris that he was finally starting to grow up and, Oh my God, this is just like All My Children."

The younger girl gasped. "It is!"

"Oh, never mind that," Carol scolded, shooing them off before turning to Jackie. "So what happened in the morning?"

Jackie shrugged. "Nothing. I woke up in my bed and he was gone. He called that night to make sure Chris hadn't come back but that was it. We didn't speak for months. But I heard that after that night, he stopped drinking so much and started hanging out with Eric and Donna more. And from what Donna told me, a few months later, he revamped his store and got a new apartment," she said with a smile. "…and started dating nicer girls, and then…He met Jessica."

"You reeled him in," Carol said, smiling with so much emotion that it triggered the same in Jackie.

"Maybe I did," she responded, her own smile growing.

"So what about you?" the older woman asked. "What happened in your life?"

"Me? _Well,_ a few months later, I got this great job in Milwaukee and moved in with Michael and Brooke until I got my own place. I met Colin about a year later," her joyful expression failing, Jackie threw up her hands. "My life was perfect."

"_Was?_" Carol repeated and watched sadly as the brunette's face twisted, her head nodding in confirmation of the past tense. "Were you lying when you said you were over him?"

"No," Jackie shook her head. "I was over him, because it wasn't him. But I guess, maybe, down deep, I was always waiting for Steven to come back."

"And did he?"

Peeking over her shoulder, Jackie nodded. Her eyes searched until the crowd opened slightly to reveal Hyde, who was looking at her with a slight smile. "He's right there…"

* * *

A few moments earlier…

"I say you choose the brunette," Tommy said assuredly. "I like 'em feisty…And plus, look at her, man." All five men turned their eyes to the bar where the subject of their debate sat talking, the center of attention. "Damn. They didn't look like that when I was your age." Hyde smiled. They didn't look like that now.

"Alright. I'll admit, she's pretty cute," Rich interjected, addressing his three friends. "But you can't tell him to go for the brunette when we don't know what the other one looks like. Hey," he called to Hyde. "You got a picture of your chick, man?"

"No," Hyde answered, but thinking it over, Jessica's subtle craftiness occurred to him and he pulled out his wallet. Opening it, he shook his head and smirked at what he saw: the single square of a black and white photo strip. She had dragged him inside and begged him to smile. He didn't, of course, but the smile that Jessica wore was laced with mischief, as if she had known all along that this moment would come. "Here," he handed Rich the photo. "My chick."

"Oh yeah," Rich groaned happily. "I pick the blonde."

"Gimme that," Jerry demanded and snatched the tiny square away. "Oh, yeah. She's nice, too. Damn." He glanced at Jackie. "I still say the brunette, though, man." Leaning over to get a look, Tommy nodded.

"The blonde's cute but the brunette's better," he declared and sat back, taking a quick look at Jackie. "She's the kinda girl a man never forgets. Am I right?"

Hyde's eyebrow arching was all the answer he could offer. _Never._ Damn, he hoped not. Never was a really fucking long time to carry memories like these about one girl…

…_September 2, 1978…_

_It's funny how quickly a moment can turn, especially when you're a nineteen year old delinquent and your seventeen year old girlfriend's surrogate father comes into view at two o'clock in the morning. At the first sign of Bob's trademark fro, a usually stoic Hyde panicked and his heart practically stopped while a beautiful rendition of 'Oh fucking shit, I'm about to die' rang through his mind on a continuous loop. With severe urgency, he grabbed Jackie's head and pushed her face toward the floor while he ducked down beside her. _

"_Oh boy," Bob yawned as he groaned and stood up, stretching out his back. "Boy, oh, boy." Hyde watched carefully for the big guy's next move. Which way was he gonna go? Left or right? Fuck. As he locked eyes with Jackie, Hyde's brain kicked into high gear and thankfully, she understood when he gestured for her to watch for his cue. This wasn't fun and games anymore, this was no longer about their dream of doing it in the kitchen, this was about the future of fucking in general. And glancing at Jackie's body, there was no way in hell he was being denied of her again. No fucking way. He was gonna fuck her, god damn it. Tonight! If not for himself, then for every delinquent out there, like him, fighting against the man to nail his hot girlfriend. This was for all of mankind!_

_Then Bob moved. 'Left, left, left!' his brain screamed as he pushed Jackie to quickly crawl around to the other side of the couch, following right behind her and getting out of Bob's view just in time. Half-asleep, Donna's dad toddled over to the bar and poured himself a glass of water while only ten feet away, Hyde lay smiling on top of Jackie. Maybe it was the danger they were in, coupled with how sexy she looked beneath him, that was making him hard but he couldn't resist the urge to push his growing erection hard against her little white panties. He even grinned when she smacked his chest and widened her eyes, unable to move or make a sound. And right when Hyde began to lightly bite at her erect nipples through her gown, her arms now pinned helplessly above her head, Bob went upstairs._

"_Steven," she quietly reprimanded as he freed her from his grasp. "What if we had been caught, you idiot?"_

"_Then I was going out with a smile," he asserted as they stood and realized that they were all clear. "Or at least with a nipple in my mouth," he added through a depraved grin, hardly wincing when she slapped him and kicked his shin with her bare foot, sparking a quick response from him. With complete authority, he grabbed her waist and dropped both of their bodies to the couch, eagerly seizing her lips once again. They had probably only been kissing for about five seconds, though, when Jackie squirmed and slipped out from underneath him, leaving him befuddled. "What the hell, Jackie?"_

"_Ew! It's all warm from Bob!" she quietly screeched, shivering and shaking off the remnants of Bob's body heat. "Uh!"_

_Hyde looked down at the couch he was lying on and immediately jumped to his feet. "Uh!" he groaned and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the kitchen. "Damn it. That's what we get for veering from the mission…" _

* * *

**November 7, 1984 - 12:11 am**

'Fool to Cry' by the Rolling Stones plays on the jukebox.

Nervously, Jackie looked from left to right. "So what should I do?"

"Well, you shouldn't have slept with him on Halloween for one," another girl her age scoffed.

Sneering, Jackie glared left at her. "Ok. First of all, I didn't ask _you_, did I? Second, I didn't ask what I _shouldn't_ have done. I asked what I should do _now_. There's a big difference. Now, go away, and find another hairdresser. Yours is going blind," she added, turning forward to take a drink of her daiquiri. Completed insulted, the other girl dropped her jaw and flounced away in a huff. "Bitch," Jackie threw in.

Carol covered her mouth and swallowed down a laugh. "Okay," she started and took a deep breath. "I think you need to go to sleep tonight, sober up, go home tomorrow, and call your boyfriend."

"You want me to tell Colin that I cheated on him?!"

"No, I didn't say that," Carol said. "But I think him being gone is making this harder for you. First, I think you need to make up with him, and then just be by yourself for a few days and, without either of them distracting you, find out who you want."

"But it doesn't matter who I want," Jackie argued. "Steven has a girlfriend."

Carol sighed in frustration. "Honey, if you have no options, then why are you asking me what you should do?"

Tossing her head back, Jackie groaned. "Stop doing that!"

* * *

Across the bar…

Rich handed Jessica's photo back to Hyde. "Man, I wish I was this lucky bastard," he told his friends. "Two hot, young chicks to choose from. 'The blonde or the brunette'? I wish that were my biggest problem."

Hyde shook his head. "No. There's no choice to make. I already have a girlfriend."

"Then what are you doing all the way in Chicago with your ex, man?" Wilbur asked, taking a swig of his beer. "Your friend's in the hospital, your store collapsed and you go to a science expo with your ex-girlfriend? Why? "

Hyde just stared at him, mouth agape. "I don't…She needed…Her job…She asked me to come, man."

Tommy grinned. "And you usually jump when broads ask you to go somewhere?"

"No. I just… She was… Man, there's nothing going on."

"Right," Tommy grinned and drawled out, picking up his hand. "Alright, let's get this game going already. I'm down six bucks…"

Slouching down in his seat, Hyde grabbed his cards and stared at his crappy hand, his thoughts, unfortunately, locked on the brunette instead of on the blonde, where they should have been. He glanced up at Jackie. 'Nothing going on' was a lie; he knew it. There was at least _something_ going on. What it was, he wasn't sure. But, if history had taught him anything, it was that everything he and Jackie touched turned to shit and nothing ever seemed to work out in their favor…

…_September 2, 1978…_

_The kitchen door swung open and, right away, Jackie attacked Hyde's mouth, crushing her lips to his while she frantically worked to undo his belt, startling all of his senses at once. But he quickly recovered and returned the frenzied affection as he picked her up and carried her to the sink where he peeled off her nightgown._

"_God, it's so hot knowing we could get caught," she admitted once he bared her flesh and wrapped his lips around one of her newly exposed nipples, moaning his pleasure at the taste of her. Turning closed eyes to the ceiling, Jackie grabbed his head to bring his mouth down harder against her. "God, baby," she whimpered. "I missed this so much."_

"_Me, too," he growled while one strong arm wrenched her straddling body flush against him and the other reached out to turn on the cold water. Without another word, he scooped as much as he could into his palm and doused her warm, ninety-eight degree chest with it. _

"_Ah! Steven! It's cold," she cried out and promptly arched her back, her fingers clutching at his hair, when he began to lick and suck the moisture from her breasts and stomach. "Oh God, baby," she whispered, letting herself enjoy the clash of sensations that his lips and tongue were generating on her skin. In contrast to the freezing cold, his mouth felt gratifyingly hot as it trailed a path alongside the tiny streams of cool liquid that led to her panties. And while her arm fought to keep her poised over the sink, Hyde hooked a finger around the white material and pulled back small sections as he left sucking kisses on the soft flesh hidden underneath and lightly bit at her clit. _

"_Oh my God, Steven. Take off your pants," she ordered. "Now!"_

"_No." Instead, he picked her up off the sink and quickly turned around to lay her down comfortably on the island counter. "Not yet, Jackie. Relax," he said, planting thick kisses up her thigh. "I'm not done with you, baby."_

"_Oh,_ _God," Jackie whined and threw her head back, her hips already gyrating, as Hyde began to remove the last stitch of clothing she wore, aside from her lacy white socks. But he had barely gotten her underwear past her hips when they both heard a cough. "Steven," she hoarsely whispered, reaching out to him. "It's Donna!" His eyes grew rounder as he yanked her off the counter and ducked…_

* * *

Mingles Pub - 12:34 am

'Cry to me' by Solomon Burke starts to play on the jukebox.

Sitting back in his seat, Hyde looked over at the bar and knew it was time to leave the moment he saw Wilbur's wife raise her eyebrows at him. It was a signal. His ex-girlfriend was being cut off. She was probably drunk and starting to make an ass of herself. He knew because, from the other side of the still crowded bar, he could hear her laughter and see that she was no longer sitting up straight. Hyde smiled.

In short, it was bedtime for the little brunette at the bar.

So, with a forced grin, Hyde slapped the table and stood up. "Well, I think it's time for me to go."

Wilbur laughed as he stood up with him and held his hand out. "Yeah, ok, man. We'll see you tomorrow at the shop. I'll bring the car."

"Awesome, man. Thanks. All of you. You saved my ass tonight. And my van," he added, showing his appreciation in Wilbur's handshake with a small gift, causing the old guy to grin when he checked his palm.

"Cool. Thanks. Hey. You sure you don't wanna come out back, spark up with us?"

Hyde shook his head. "Man, I would. But I should really get drunkie over there back to her room," he said, walking away. "I'll catch you guys later, though."

With a proud smile, Tommy raised his fist. "Go get her man!"

All of them, in fact, began to hoot as Hyde walked away. "Yeah!"

"Show her who's boss!"

"The blonde!"

"The brunette!"

Smirking, Hyde shook his head and ignored them as he kept walking.

Meanwhile, across the bar…

Already halfway off her seat, Jackie practically fell out laughing while Carol glanced at Judy and shook her head. "And Colin just got _so_ mad at me! But, you know," she said, turning serious as she grabbed her new friend's hand. "He is _so_ sexy when he's angry. Cause he's not_ really_ angry, you know?"

"It sounds like you really love him," Judy commented.

The brunette pouted. "I do."

"So why don't you just go call him then? Tell him that you're sorry for being so hard on him and that you support whatever he decides to do." Jackie smiled. Her new friend was right. Supporting her boyfriend was what a good girlfriend would do, not cheat and pine for someone else while he sat a thousand miles away, working hard to make her happy.

"Oh my God. That's what I'll do then," Jackie said while she held her hand to her heart. "Thank you so much." Without warning, she threw her arms around Judy's neck. "God, old people really _are_ wise!" she exclaimed, pulling away as the older woman frowned.

A few feet away Carol laughed and shook her head. "Judy," she warned. "She didn't mean it like that. She's just drunk. There's no way she would have said that sober."

"Yeah, she would've," Hyde interjected from behind Jackie. "Only it probably would have sounded much worse and insulted your outfit in some way. So be grateful she's drunk." Immediately, Jackie turned in her seat to glare at him.

"Steven… Shouldn't you be off cheating on your girlfriend right now? Or maybe…I don't know…cheating on your girlfriend?" With a proud smile, the inebriated girl turned to her bartender and shrugged. "He's just so good at it, it bore repeating."

Hyde brushed it off. "Come on, Jackie. Let's go."

"No. I'm with my friends," she resisted, glancing up at him ruefully. "Ones who don't try to make me cry."

As their audience watched with bashful curiosity, Hyde spun her chair back toward him and helped her down. "You okay to walk?"

With a sigh of defeat, Jackie nodded. Resistance was futile. Especially with him. If she had tried, he would have just slung her body over his shoulder and carried her out. The truth was, she _wanted_ to go back with him. She was tired and wanted a little bit of his attention. She could at least admit that to herself. Maybe just a 'sorry' from him, and a little cuddling in front of the TV, would help her go to sleep and allow her to wake up in the morning with a fresh outlook.

Jackie said a few, quick goodbyes and then, together, she and Hyde stepped out into the cold November air. It smelled like rain and wet pavement outside, but there was not a drop in the sky.

"You wanna watch TV with me?"

"I don't think we should stay in the same room, Jackie," Hyde admitted somberly.

Jackie frowned as they continued to walk. "Why not?"

"Why do you think?"

"Steven, you idiot. It's not like I'm gonna throw myself at you. God, I just wanna go to sleep, but I don't wanna be alone. Not in there."

"Then you can have my room," he offered sternly. "We'll trade."

"Oh, just… forget it," she snapped, picking up her pace and heading straight for room D. "Goodnight, jerk."

Hyde rolled his eyes and chose not to take the bait. She wanted him to follow her, to apologize and make it better. But instead, he just headed for his own room to go to sleep. Maybe it was better if they fought. Maybe it was better that she hate him. He really didn't know. All he did know was that the quicker this night was over, the quicker they could get back to their separate lives.

When Hyde reached his door, he stopped and waited for Jackie to go inside her room. But she only shuffled around a bit, ostensibly dragging out the time, waiting for something, and then began to search her bag for her keys.

Hyde sighed and leaned up against his door. "Jackie."

"I got it," she grumbled, pulling out her key with a haughty smirk. "See." Quickly, she found her way inside the familiar room and slammed the door shut, making him exhale in relief as he walked into his own room. Without another thought, he plopped himself onto the bed and shut his eyes. All he could see, though, was her, alone and crying, or possibly just scared in the room that admittedly triggered bad memories and dark thoughts for her. God, it had to suck to be in there, he decided. Even he had wanted out after a few minutes. And Jackie, she scared easily, no matter what she told others. Though, she never seemed hesitant to tell _him_ when she was afraid. Never…

…_September 2, 1978._

_While the tall redhead shuffled in sleepily, Jackie clutched onto Hyde's body for dear life, probably worried that her best friend would catch her in only her socks and panties. Hyde, on the other hand, couldn't help but grin, finding the entire situation funny as hell. But still, he kept his arms wrapped tightly around Jackie's torso, covering her as Donna opened the fridge and pulled out some milk. Grabbing Jackie's nightgown from the floor, Hyde saw the moment as opportunity and scooted around the counter with her still on his lap. "Freakin' Donna," he heard her whisper in his ear. "It's probably her two o'clock feeding." _

_Hyde smirked, and, as the redhead moved to one of the cabinets to pull out a glass, he quietly shifted them over to the opposite side of the island, closing his eyes when Jackie started to nibble on his ear. God damn it. She was right. This WAS hot. And he was way less worried about Donna. In fact, part of him __**wanted**__ her to catch them. But, she didn't. As soon as she was finished with her glass of milk, Donna walked out of the kitchen, leaving Hyde and an almost naked Jackie alone again in their snug embrace._

"_God. We're never gonna do it," Jackie whined and rested her cheek on his shoulder while Hyde nibbled on hers, leaving tiny bites and kisses that only encouraged his erection further._

"_Come on. She's gone," he whispered and tried to put her back in the mood by slipping his hands into her hair and giving her a slow, languid kiss. But she wouldn't kiss back, not with the same urgency as before anyway. So, with a frustrated sigh, Hyde pulled away. "Jackie, what's the matter?"_

"_I'm sorry, Steven. I just…I can't. I'm scared now. If Bob catches us…He'll be so disappointed in me." _

"_But…You said…" He could see that she was worried about his reaction and that she felt guilty. If pressed, he knew, she would give in. "Crap," he sighed. "It's ok." _

_Jackie smiled, giving him a gentle kiss before she watched him flip her night gown right side out, and poked her head and arms through the holes when he started to dress her. "I'll come over tomorrow and make it up to you, baby. I promise," she said as he slipped the gown back down her body, leaving it the way he had found it. "I love you, Steven." Jackie hooked her wrists behind his neck. "And I know that you love me, too."_

_Hyde studied her for a moment. "And how do you know that?"_

"_Because you told me you do. And you can't take it back."_

"_Yeah, and you told me that you don't," he reminded her._

_Jackie tilted her head to the side. He could see that she was studying him now. "Did you believe me?"_

"_Yeah," he replied soberly._

"_And now?" _

_Hyde shrugged. "I don't know."_

"_Oh, Steven," she cooed softly, rubbing his cheek before smacking it and pointing at him angrily. "That's what you get, you idiot."_

"_What the hell, Jackie?!"_

_She ignored him. "Oh, and by the way, you need to apologize to me for that skank in the leather jacket… and… if you do, I'll take back what I said." Extremely hesitant and a little pissed off, Hyde took a long pause. That girl should have known by now that orders weren't the way to make him comply. Trickery, maybe. Shin kicks, definitely. But demands and smacks to the face? No fucking way. "Now, Steven!" she demanded. "Fix it!"_

_He fucking hated when she pulled this bossy crap on him. His first impulse was to be defiant, but he had missed her and was sick of fighting with her. "Fine," he answered curtly, dropping his stubborn gaze to her chest. "Sorry." He looked back up immediately, though. "But not THAT sorry 'cause I didn't do anything with her."_

_To his surprise, Jackie's face expressed only confidence. "Oh, I know you didn't. You wouldn't be here if you did."_

"_Wait. How do __**you**__ know we didn't do anything?"_

_With a condescending glare, Jackie rolled her eyes. "Hello! Donna! She was a mole, Steven. A plant. A diversion. God, men are so stupid. If you thought I was gonna let that date happen without some sort of surveillance then you just don't know me at all." At that confession, Jackie slipped off his lap and smiled, giving him a quick kiss before she stood up. "Love you, baby. Goodnight!" _

_Hyde sat stunned at the revelation; he was dating an evil genius. _

"_Oh! And tomorrow, baby," Jackie added lasciviously, kneeling back down to massage the bulge in his jeans. "You're gonna be glad you were a good Puddin' Pop all summer. Really, really glad." Hyde smiled and accepted a slow, deep kiss from her, becoming totally rapt in a lustful fog by the time she pulled away and stood up. "Night, Steven!" _

"_Uh huh," he muttered and dropped his head back against the counter, closing his eyes as she pranced out of the room. He already was…_

* * *

November 7, 1984 – 1:16 am

The Evergreen Motel. Room D.

Alone in the dark was how Jackie sat, too afraid to turn on the lights. She didn't want to see the room in that awful, dull glow of a motel lamp. Not tonight. She just couldn't. That faraway night that he had walked out of her life was the same that she had spent crying until her eyes turned raw, leaving her with only a throbbing headache as Kelso snored on the floor beside her. He had long given up trying to comfort her and eventually fell asleep to her gentle, rhythmic sobs. Back then, she may not have been able to anticipate how far, both physically and emotionally, Hyde would journey from her but, deep down, she had known that he would find his solace in someone else's arms. She had known in her heart the things that quieted him and wept at the realization that lips and fingers that were not her own would soon bear that burden over his skin.

In the present, Jackie moved her head from side to side, shaking off the memory as she removed her boots and pants, leaving her in only the oversized sweatshirt that Hyde had insisted she wear today. Finding some courage, she looked around the room. Maybe it wasn't so bad, she told herself. They had apparently changed the carpet. It was plush now beneath her toes and very clean. Even the bedspread seemed new, she noted as she lightly swept her hand over the soft material. It could have been worse, that was for sure.

Jackie's eyelids had just closed with the slightest sense of relief when there was suddenly a knock at the door.

"Oh my God," she whispered to herself, her heart bounding in her chest as she got up and took slow, thoughtful steps toward the door. Just to be sure, she pressed her ear against it inquisitively, praying that it was just Hyde.

"Jackie," she heard from outside. "It's just me. Open the door." After pulling her sweatshirt down to cover her underwear, Jackie opened the door a crack to see Hyde standing there with a small smile that fell quickly. "Hey. I, um," He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "You can sleep with me," he forced out quickly and looked at her again. "I mean…in my room. I can sleep…I'll sleep on the floor."

Happy to see him, Jackie found herself slightly amused by his nervousness and opened the door further to let him inside while she thought over his offer.

Hyde stepped into Jackie's room cautiously, a little unsure of her agenda. But all of his tension settled directly below his belt buckle when she stepped toward the bed in only the baggy, grey sweatshirt that he insisted she wore. He held his gaze on her as she sat and crossed her thin, tanned legs, triggering immediate fantasies of them being wrapped around his hips. He looked away and scolded himself. They were too alone and he was too damn buzzed to be starting that shit already.

"You know, Steven," Jackie began, stopping to let out a sharp cry when a cold wind blew in and forced her arms across her chest. "Close the door. It's freezing."

Quickly, he shut it. "Hey, are you gonna sleep in there or not?"

"I'm thinking…not," the shivering brunette responded and stood up again, unable to see her ex-boyfriend's grimacing face in the dark as she stepped forward. Only the Hyde-shaped silhouette that the window's muddled light created stared back at her. "I really appreciate that you came back, Steven. But this room isn't as scary as I thought it would be," she said cheerfully. "I mean, I think I'll be okay in here."

"Oh," was his curt reply before she watched him take a step backwards. "Yeah, ok," he said casually, feeling once again like an idiot who never should have knocked on this fucking door. Part of him wanted to laugh at his own stupidity. Instead, he only scoffed and shook his head. He should've known that her big load of 'I'm scared' crap was all an act. "Fine. Whatever. I'll be next door," he muttered.

As Hyde moved to grab the doorknob, Jackie stopped him with a hand to his forearm. "Hey, Steven?" she asked nervously, still reeling in the intense haze of her intoxication. "What made you come back?"

"I don't know," he practically sneered, startling her with his disdainful tone. "I guess I just felt sorry for you, which is my own stupid fault."

Frowning, Jackie moved closer. "Wait. You're mad at me?"

"No. I'm tired, Jackie, and I wanna get some sleep and I've already wasted," He looked at his watch, "seven minutes on you. You can add that to the two years I've already lost."

Jackie's mouth fell open. "Why are you being a jerk to me all of sudden?!"

"Because," he answered tersely. "You drive me up the fuckin' wall with your craziness. First, you spend the whole night pissed at me, crying because you're jealous that I called my girlfriend, and then, you're begging to sleep in my room and now…"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Jackie yelled, raising her hand as she stepped closer. "Just stop right there, Steven! I was _not_ jealous! I was mad at what you said about me!"

"I had to say that," he said, his voice rising. "How many times do I gotta say it?"

"You told her that you can't stand me!"

Hyde huffed in frustration and dropped his head back. She was impossible to deal with, especially when she went off on one her endless tirades. "Jackie, I had to," he repeated more calmly.

But she wasn't listening. "-and you said it like you've said it a million times before! Like you've sat there with your precious Jessica and laughed together at how annoying I am!"

Hyde scowled. "God, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Where do you come up with this crap?"

Losing her wind, Jackie took a deep, shaky breath. "You know, I'll never understand how you could hate me so much. It's me who should hate you, Steven!"

"I don't hate you," he grumbled, "for the millionth God damn time."

"So why did you say that then?! Tell me, Steven," she pressed. "Huh? Why?"

Irritated beyond reason, Hyde leaned forward. "Because I had to, Jackie!" he shouted at her, louder than he could ever remember doing. It had startled her so much that she flinched, almost as if she was bracing herself for a hit. "God, damn it," his guilt muttered and forced him toward the door. "I need to get the hell outta here. I'm going to bed," he said as he opened the door and let the cold, fall air back in.

"See! There you go again, Steven! Walking out," she yelled, watching him stop in his tracks as he looked up to the ceiling with a sigh. "Just like you always do," she added angrily. "Except this time there's no Michael to blame your mistakes on!"

"_My_ mistakes?" Hyde turned around. "You're the one who was about to nail Kelso when I showed up. Don't forget that."

"I wasn't going to cheat on you! But you didn't wait around long enough to find that out, did you? You just left me here alone," she shouted and stepped into the moonlit entry to lock eyes with him, exposing her tears, but mostly exposing the raw pain she still carried. "So just go ahead, Steven. Walk out on me again. I won't cry myself to sleep this time," she sobbed heavily, drawing in a relieved breath when Hyde stepped forward across the light of the November moon and pulled her weary body toward his in an embrace. "I won't," she gasped against his chest and closed her eyes, resting her head down against the warm spot above his heart, her senses narrowing in on the cadenced thump that she had fallen asleep to so many times, in the dark, just like this. Thump, thump. Thump, thump…

"Look. I'm sorry, Jackie," he whispered against her temple. "But it was a long time ago. What do you want me to do about it now?"

"Just…don't go," was her answer. It was so simple. Two little words, but they entailed so God damn much. Sighing loudly, Hyde raised his head and lifted one arm from her body to push the front door shut, leaving the two of them still inside.

"There. Okay," he said gently. "I'm not leaving." With her own sigh, one of content, Jackie squeezed him tight and like that they stood, wrapped up each other's arms while her tears faded. As long as history wasn't repeating itself, and as long as they were learning, she could accept any outcome that fate would bring the night.

"Can I ask you something," she whispered through the silence, raising her head and pulling away from him to step back against the door.

"What?" His eyes followed her gentle movement as she reached out and tucked both of her hands inside the lower pocket of his hooded sweatshirt, pulling him just a little closer.

"Would you change anything?" she asked, quickly finding herself again caught in the rapture of his warmth when he completed the rest of the journey on his own, cocooning her between himself and the door and resting his hands on the cold surface behind her head.

"Yeah," he barely even whispered. "I guess I would."

"What?"

Each took another breath, and throwing his guilt to the wind, Hyde reached up into her hair and lightly pressed his lips to hers, sending her question out into the universe where all the things left unsaid between them patiently waited. Gently, his mouth coaxed hers open and when she felt his sweet tongue mingle with hers, the room fell away, forever taking its hurtful past with it.

"Steven," she whimpered past his kisses while the air around them grew charged, laden with all the pent up energy of the previous week. His hands began to move down her torso and around to her back, bringing their bodies closer as she curled her arms over his shoulders.

With every deepening kiss, his urgency grew while Jackie responded in kind, moaning breathily into his mouth and causing him to smile against her lips as he let go of all his worries at once. She let out a soft cry, and bit hungrily at his lip, when he slipped his hands up past her sweatshirt and squeezed her ass. His hands moved quickly up her back and everywhere in between, feeling every inch of the soft skin that he'd been craving all night.

Hyde forced his mouth down harder over hers and, before Jackie knew it, the grey fleece was being stripped from her body, becoming a bundled mess on the floor as his weight forced the exposed flesh of her back against the chilly door. Gasping at the momentary pain, her arousal heightening, Jackie took his tongue deeper, letting out a sharp whimper when he cupped her breasts and pinched her nipples tightly between his fingers. As Jackie writhed beneath his hands, his lips abandoned hers to trail a path from her neck down to her chest.

"Oh, God, Steven," she moaned, thrusting her head back when his mouth closed around her nipple and began to suck and nip at the tender flesh. All the while, his questing fingers traveled down and brushed over her hips, tracing a line over the thin band of her panties before slipping between her thighs. As a single finger contoured the soft valley of her sex, Hyde rose and covered her mouth with his, smiling when his index finger breached the lacy material and earned him another moan.

Her breath coming in rapid pants, Jackie bucked her hips forward and felt her senses bubble up in anticipation, suddenly needing to taste and feel him, too. "Take this stupid thing off," she ordered, pushing him back and yanking his sweatshirt from his body, tossing it to join the pile on the floor. Her eyes grazed over his newly bared chest while her hands followed down the same path, worshipping every slight curve. "God, I want you so bad, Steven," she admitted without hesitation.

Quietly, Hyde reciprocated by seizing her lips again in a brutal kiss. He pulled her body flush against his, causing both to gasp at the smooth feeling of skin on skin while their hands moved quickly to explore the other, clutching and scratching and squeezing until no more patience remained.

"Now, Steven."

At her demand, Hyde lifted Jackie's legs to wrap around his waist and moved her over to the bed. After laying her down, he had to sit back. He had to see her, his hungry gaze raking over her nearly naked body. "Fuck, Jackie. You're so beautiful."

"C'mere then," she whispered and reached out to him, cupping his face while she pulled him down into another kiss. On one arm, he hovered and kissed her, his other hand fumbling with his own belt. "Here," she said, pushing him up as she sat up, too.

Hyde watched Jackie bite at her bottom lip as she undid his belt, and kicked off the rest of his clothes when she was done. Lastly, he stripped her body of his last obstacle before separating her knees and lowering himself back down over her.

Immediately, Jackie's breath hitched when she felt his bare, swollen erection settle against the aching flesh between her thighs. His heavy body rest down over hers. And the heat he radiated surrounded her completely. Jackie closed her eyes, tightening every one of her lithe limbs around this stubborn man who refused to leave her thoughts. For a brief moment, she hugged him. He was still so new to her senses, but, still, just as wanted as their last encounter here.

Letting out a smooth exhale, Jackie relaxed and enjoyed the feeling of his lips and tongue as they roam her body, smiling in the knowledge that he had been wanting her, too. She could feel it in every one his kisses.

"God, Jackie," Hyde moaned while he worked his mouth down her torso, his hands kneading at all the young flesh within his reach. "Fuck, baby. I want you so much."

When he reached the thin ribbon of curls at the juncture of her thighs, Hyde felt his dick flex in anticipation. Without another though, he spread her thighs and opened his mouth to taste her, lapping his tongue between her soft folds. He closed his eyes to savor her gritty, sweet flavor as his hands locked her active hips down. Still, she squirmed, though, beneath him while he sought out her clit, swollen and hard from his earlier attention. Gently, his mouth clamped down over the tender bud, wringing a deep moan from her throat as he sucked and licked, his tongue flicking and twirling over the tiny bundle of nerves.

Jackie clutched his hair, drawing his mouth closer as he brought her near orgasm. But before it could hit, Hyde pulled away.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jackie looked up, scowling. Her eyes were adjusted to the dark, so his smirk was clear as day as he kissed her thigh and crawled back over her. Unable to hold back her own smile, Jackie grabbed his hips and pulled him close.

"I need you inside me," she told him, her tone pleading and soft this time. "Fuck me, Steven."

And without another word, Hyde kissed her with the season of her own arousal and drove his cock between her soft folds in one slow push. Together, they groaned when he was completly buried inside. But he wasted no time, beginning to gently thrust in and out while he finished their kiss, relishing her tongue as it grew anxious in his mouth.

Beneath him, Jackie was experiencing a million different sensations. Though, the most intense of it came from her chest, her heart fluttering like hell when he tilted his head to deepen their kiss, his tongue caressing hers as his hips began their purposeful movement above her. Rapt deeply in the feeling of his body, Jackie smoothed her palms around his torso, awing at the strength of his back. His muscles twisting and rolling below her fingertips as an ache began to build between her thighs.

"Harder, Steven," she whined, and when he complied and began pumping into her with the fast rhythm she wanted, the warmth of the orgasm he'd abandoned quickly rekindled and finally burned though her body. There was no scream, no deafening yell, only a silent gasp that her throat would not release until she started to come down.

"Oh, my God," she gasped, finally taking a big gulp of air as he continued to hammer into her. Craving his lips, Jackie yanked his head down into a sweltering kiss. She could sense Hyde's fervor growing and, before she knew it, he had pulled out of her and rolled her onto her stomach.

With a giggle, and blissfully existing in the wake of her orgasm, Jackie raised her hips playfully and moaned in anticipation.

"Come on, baby," she whimpered, her clit still throbbing and the core of her body still aching to be filled. "Do it," she taunted, complying when her ex guided her to her knees by resting on her elbows. It was his favorite position, if she remembered correctly, and rather than think about the other girls he'd taken like this since her, she only focused on the fact that she was exposed and at his ruthless mercy. He was brutal like this and just for the hell of it, she wiggled her ass at him and glanced back mischievously, finding the smile she's always loved - slight, but affectionate, and aimed only at her.

"Say please," he said, his smooth tip resting against her entrance.

Without haste, Jackie made a show of biting back her lip and raising her eyebrows innocently. "Pretty please." At his smirk, she rocked her hips back against his, and groaned happily when his hands roughly stroked her sides and around to her breasts in response. And after a gentle kiss tickled her back, he slowly sunk his dick back inside of her.

At the feeling of complete penetration, Jackie let out a deep, guttural moan, her body moistening around his thick shaft as it pumped in and out of her. Quickly, his movements gained speed and settled into a rapid tempo, forcing her to grip the bed for support as his hard thrusts propelled her body forward. Spreading her legs wider and letting her hips rise to bring her g-pot directly in his path, Jackie dropped her head down onto the pillow, and, within moments, a second orgasm tore through her tiny, quaking body.

Behind her, Hyde's fingers gouged her hips as he pulled her toward him and drove into her with all the force his body could manage, forcing low grunts from his lungs as his own orgasm loomed. In the end, it was both the warm pulse of her grip and her deep moans that triggered his peak and sent him exploding inside of her, cursing her name as he did.

Exhausted and thirsty, Hyde coiled his arm around Jackie's waist and rested his cheek on her back until they both collapsed down onto the bed to catch their breath. Giving her shoulder blade a kiss, he rolled to the side and closed his eyes, far from guilty as his concerns rested only on his parched throat.

Next to him, Jackie grinned blissfully and crept over his sweat-slicked chest. "Hi."

"Hi," he managed as she rested her head on his shoulder, her fingernail drawing circles over his skin.

"Steven?"

"Yeah?"

"What are we gonna do?"

With a sigh, Hyde put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "I have no god damn clue…"

To Be Cont.

* * *

**A/N2:** Damn, that was long. It won't happen again. I promise! Anyway, as usual, reviews would mean the world, so please, don't be shy. And please don't pick this one chapter to NOT review, posting sex like that makes me really nervous and when you don't review, it only validates my fears. Unless you totally hated it, then don't review. Hehe. I don't think my nerves could handle the rejection. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – High Beneath a Warm, Cotton Sky**

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I've been around this site and I don't think I've ever seen a more wonderful, considerate, thoughtful, or loyal bunch of reviewers… EVER. You guys are incredible. I am SO freakin' lucky! – Ok, this chap: There are a few things you may not like but, for the most part, it's tolerable. I also had fun with a little flashback, to say goodbye to some characters that you guys seemed to like. And I guess I lied again - sorry - the entire gang will be back _next_ chapter, for sure. They're all over that chapter. But, as for this one, it's just a lazy, stormy day in November Rain-land…

Oh, I put two songs in here but I _really_ want you to listen to the one that I included lyrics to. YouTube. Go. Now. Please!

**WARNING:** **Rated M** for mild smut and smut-related language.

* * *

**Previously: **

"What are we gonna do?"

With a sigh, Hyde put his arm around Jackie and kissed the top of her head. "I have no god damn clue…"

* * *

**November 7, 1984 – 5:58 am**

**Chicago, Illinois – The Evergreen Motel**

Outside, beyond the silence and tangled sheets of room D, the November rain poured, falling densely through bright flashes of lightning and echoing every ensuing crack of thunder. The reverberation only served to shelter the small room further from the storm and protect the fragile bond that lay within its walls. At the moment, there was little more than denial holding it together by one inexplicable thread, but it was determined and strong and working to fortify itself by the minute. And, as one occupant slept, clinging to the other, it grew stronger, morphing and changing and twisting into something new, something different, with each reassuring squeeze. No one had left. No one had let go. Not yet.

It was a tickle that had woken Jackie. Soft, little puffs of breath from Hyde's nose were hitting her ear, just enough to irritate. So she had moved her head slightly to the side, causing him to nuzzle her neck deeper and tickle her even more. Jackie accepted her fate, though, with a quiet giggle and hugged his naked body with every one of her own bare limbs, finding him soft and sweet and so God damn warm.

The fact that Hyde had always been his most pleasant while unconscious was still undeniable. He, like most men she had encountered, was an angel in his sleep. No mouthy comments, no ulterior motives, just a big cuddly bug who gave little, sleepy kisses that told a story as he dreamt.

Beneath the covers, darkness obscured Hyde's image, leaving Jackie to experience him through only her four remaining senses. _Touch_ was unavoidable, for she was practically surrounded by him. Like the sun after a hot day at the beach, his heat had saturated her skin and left her feeling as though he was still buried deep inside of her. _Smell_; that was fading, but still, his natural scent, mixed with shampoo and beer, encircled her in the blackness. _Sound_ was the one that was keeping her awake, though. Hyde's groans and breaths and sleepy mumbles were enough to hold her attention and make her smile wearily.

_Taste_—Jackie shut her eyes—God, the way he tasted.

Fighting the urge to sleep, she smiled and flicked out her tongue as she kissed his temple. "Steven?" she whispered against his skin. "Are you sleeping?" When he didn't answer, Jackie decided that her nude body would better ask the question and stir _his_ four senses to life. Pulling her head back, she tasted his lips while she brushed her smooth leg up his scratchy one and over his hip. "Steven?" Every part of her moved cozily over his skin, kissing and fondling and rubbing, until his body began to respond. "Mmm," she moaned when his lips started to kiss hers back and his hands began to smooth over her flesh, all while he hardened against her. "Steven, are you awake?"

"Uh huh," Hyde breathed out, still half-asleep but at attention nonetheless while he continued to pucker his lips and leave tiny, gentle kisses on hers. Without warning, he used his weight advantage to roll and position himself over her. From there, he gave her a sluggish grin and kissed her again, this time making a play for her tongue until tight lips stopped him.

"Uh, uh," Jackie scowled while turning her head to the side, yet keeping her hands tenderly placed along his unshaven jaw line. "No kissing."

Hyde straightened his arms to raise himself up. "Why the hell not?"

"Because, Steven. We haven't brushed."

"Oh," For a moment, Hyde paused to gather his consciousness, and then shrugged, "Whatever," he muttered before moving his lips down to her sternum.

Jackie giggled at the feeling and slipped her fingers into his curls. His kisses were proving to be more ticklish by the one while baby-sized bites and nibbles teased her goose-bumped flesh from her stomach to her sensitive sides, making her laugh his name and squirm with happiness.

At about mid-thigh, she could feel his smooth erection brushing against her skin. But it wasn't until his mouth found the firm bud of her breast and began to suck gently that Jackie moaned and kicked back the sweltering covers.

Delicately, she gripped his curls, the dark blue morning light allowing her to watch him, so attentive and gentle with her body, even at this early hour.

"Steven," she called quietly. "Make love to me."

At that, Hyde gave her the sleepiest smile she'd ever seen in her life, and after giving the flesh between her breasts a kiss, he settled back over her and found her eyes in the near dark. So far, neither had brought up the question that was plaguing the backs of their minds: What the fuck were they doing? Neither had dared acknowledge a single one of their transgressions. Instead, kisses replaced questions and sex replaced guilt, or simply eased the sting of it anyway while it created even more.

Without making a sound, Hyde watched his ex-girlfriend's face as he slowly slid inside her warm, snug channel. Each push deeper caused a small flinch of her brow line and a parting of her lips, and when he was fully surrounded by her wet embrace, Jackie closed her eyes and thrust her chin toward the sky, leaving Hyde no choice but to kiss the tender flesh underneath.

As Hyde's mouth swept down her jaw line, Jackie snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him into a warm hug. Like that, they moved, slowly and purposefully, and when Jackie began to softly moan his first name, Hyde felt his heart constrict. There was no way he could know that the pain he was feeling was his beating organ stealing from one girl to give to another. Though a sliver, it was enough to change the dynamic of things to come.

Resting on his elbows, Hyde slid his hands into Jackie's hair and pushed it up so he could bite and suck down the side of her neck as his thrusts hastened.

"God damn, Jackie. You feel so good," he whispered gruffly in her ear. "You're gonna make me come too fast." Over his back and hips, Jackie's hands became insistent, causing him pump faster and with greater precision, trying to bring her with him to orgasm.

In little time, Jackie's breaths grew heavy in his ear and, the moment he heard his first name leave her lips as a high-pitched whimper, he knew she was close. Although, _he_ was closer and decided to slow down before he exploded.

"Steven, harder," Jackie pleaded, biting his flesh and grabbing his hips to try and force his movement.

"I'm gonna come if I do," Hyde grunted softly while he continued to piston in and out of her, his thrusts growing erratic and uncoordinated.

"I don't care, Steven, harder!"

To her demand, Hyde complied, but in vain, as he almost immediately pulled out and erupted on Jackie's stomach while she stroked him to completion. Drained for third time in four hours, Hyde dropped his head onto her shoulder, exhausted.

"Did you come?"

"No," Jackie grumbled, still grinding her hips against him in search of the elusive orgasm. Almost immediately, though, Hyde rolled to the side, causing her to exhale in a great, big huff of dissatisfaction.

"Sorry," he said with a not-so-sorry look on his face. At that one, dismissive word, Jackie narrowed her eyes, pissed as he glanced over at her. "What? What do you want me to do? It's not my fault you took so long."

"So long? That was like five minutes."

"It was six," he corrected.

"Steven."

"God damn it." Reaching over the side of the bed, Hyde grabbed their towel off the floor and handed it to her.

"Uh, uh," Jackie said tersely. "You clean it off. It's yours."

With a great, big huff of his own, Hyde sat up and cleaned off her abdomen. She was a strange fucking experience, he thought to himself, different than from what he had become accustomed to in Jessica and the doormat chicks before her. Unlike any of them, Jackie was a stubborn and demanding pain in the ass, expecting him to work for her, in more ways than one. But, in a sick way, he sort of liked it. He liked her unruliness. It was a turn on.

"There." After tossing the towel across the room, Hyde situated himself to hover authoritatively over her, lying squarely between her thighs as he used his arms to push her legs further apart. "You done complaining now?"

Jackie raised her eyebrows. "No," she answered audaciously.

After an amused smirk, Hyde gave her a slow, deep kiss and brushed his hand down her belly, past her dark curls and over her smooth, wet lips. "How about now?"

"No," she reiterated quietly. "You're gonna have to do better than that."

Hyde smirked again, intrigued by her challenging tone, and gently dipped a finger between her folds while his thumb began to gently rub circles over her engorged clit. "And now?"

Unconsciously, Jackie closed her eyes and raised her chin. "No," she breathed out. "Not yet."

Satisfied with what he interpreted as surrender, Hyde slipped in a second finger to join the first as it worked to stimulate her g-spot. "Now?"

"Maybe now," Jackie whined as she squirmed and arched her back beneath him. "God, Steven. Keep going."

Hyde did as she asked, his mouth closing around the sensitive peaks of her breasts, sucking fervently as his hand continued to fuck her to orgasm. Beneath his drenched fingertips, Jackie's g-spot swelled while her inner muscles tightened slightly, pulsating as she cried out for him and God.

"Keep going," Jackie demanded. "Don't stop, Steven!"

"I'm not," he responded as Jackie peaked, elation spreading through her entire body in several debilitating waves. To heighten her climactic swells, Hyde deepened his thrusts, fucking her harder, until, eventually, she came down. Jackie's eyes remained closed, though, her body still aching for more as he slowly and gently weaned her off her orgasm. Her head falling to the side, Jackie moaned quietly as Hyde's tongue grazed over her neck and his lips worked to inflame the nerves in her skin, distracting her from the fact that both his hands were now on the bed, holding him up.

"Steven," Jackie whispered as she wrapped her arms around him. "Kiss me."

"I thought you said…"

"Just a little one," she explained, causing him to take her lips gently and extend his tongue until it reached the very tip of hers and he kissed her again. "Thank you," she whispered blissfully and quite sleepily. Fatigued himself, Hyde rolled slowly to her left side and pulled her in for a hug. Both closed their eyes and kissed a few more times, small, lazy pecks, the only kisses their depleted energy would allow for.

"Hold me tighter, Steven," Jackie managed to say gently through her exhaustion.

Without another conscious thought, Hyde wrapped her in a tighter embrace and carried her with him back into sleep…

* * *

Five Hours Later – 11:26 am

Instead of the sound of rain hitting the pavement outside, Jackie entered consciousness, this time, to the sound of shower water hitting a ceramic floor. Behind her, the sheets were cold. No warm body spooned hers. No strong arm held her in place. She was alone.

Jackie raised her head and propped herself up onto her elbow. "Steven?" her raspy voice called out weakly. And as her orientation leveled, she realized that he was just in the shower. Finding relief in that fact, Jackie dropped her head back down and closed her heavy eyelids as she drifted back out to sleep, telling herself that she and Hyde needed to have a talk without it turning into sex. Just talk… No more sex… Talk… No sex, Jackie... Talk… Sex…

* * *

Sixteen Minutes Later – 11:41 am

Waking up again, Jackie was greeted to what she had been denied only sixteen minutes earlier. Her legs and back were now warm and protected, the strong arm of a man held her nude body closely to his clothed one, and sweet, wet kisses were tickling the her shoulder blade. Though, through it all, her weighted-down lids refused to open.

"Hey," she heard in her ear. "Jackie…Wake up."

"I'm awake," she returned groggily, her eyes still shut.

"Are you gonna take a shower?"

"Uh huh."

"Well go now, cause I have to go pick up the van."

"So go pick it up," she grumbled and pulled the covers over her face.

"Aren't you gonna come with me?"

"No. Just go get it yourself."

"But… Come on. Just come with me," he said more forcefully, only receiving her cranky groan in return. "Jackie. Come on. I don't have much time. Get up." Hyde slipped out from under the covers and got up from the bed, bending down to search underneath it for his wallet.

"Check out's not 'til one, Steven. Why can't I just stay here?"

"Cause I want you to come with me. I need a witness," he answered, standing up as he shoved his wallet into his pocket.

"Oh, God, Steven. Is this about that stupid car? I believe you, okay?! Just go!"

"God damn it, Jackie," Hyde snapped and walked over to the table where he sat down to put his on shoes. "Get up. I'm gonna go get us some food…"

"And toothpaste," she interjected, her eyes still sealed shut.

"…and toothpaste and you better at least be in the shower when I get back."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll fuckin' leave you here is what," was the last thing she heard him say before the front door opened and quickly shut behind him. With a frustrated growl, Jackie pulled the covers over her head and curled into a tight ball. The room was freezing without that jerk beside her. Fucking freezing…

* * *

Thirty-Two Minutes Later – 12:21 pm

Jumping over a puddle, with two brown bags in hand, Hyde reached Jackie's room and realized that he didn't have a key - to either room.

"Damn it," he uttered, knocking on the door as he searched his pockets…nothing. He waited a minute or two, knocking several times, before Jackie finally opened the door, hair wet and wearing a towel. "Hey," Hyde offered.

In response, his ex-girlfriend simply stared at him, gave him a scornful look, and then walked back toward the bathroom, making him wonder if sobriety had finally caught up with her. Still, she had been sober this morning, hadn't she? Admittedly, he, himself, was already beginning to feel the sting of regret, but just a little bit. The true, gut wrenching guilt that he knew was coming would arrive with the accompaniment of Jessica's voice.

For now, there was food.

"Hey," Hyde called out, shutting the door before following her into the bathroom. "I got you some orange juice and a…"

Before he could finish, Jackie snagged the plain brown bag from him, leaving the McDonald's one alone, and turned back around. Without a word, or a single glance, she pulled out her new toothbrush and paste and proceeded to brush her teeth.

"Jackie." She ignored him. "Jackie." Still nothing. "Jackie." His jaw tightening, Hyde took in a deep, frustrated breath. "So that's it? You're just gonna ignore me now?"

Again, Jackie ignored him. Her facial expression gave her away, though. She was pissed. And, at that revelation, Hyde's eyes cast downward as he shook his head, unable to believe that he hadn't seen it coming. She had been drunk, and that meant that he, having been fairly sober, took advantage. Fuck.

"Look," he forced out. "I'm sorry about last night, okay. I didn't mean for this…"

Abruptly, Jackie looked up at his reflection. "You didn't mean for this? For what, Steven?" She forced a cynical laugh and spit, rinsing her mouth with a palm-full of freezing motel water. "Mmm. God, you didn't waste any time regretting last night, did you?"

"Jackie, that's not what I was gonna…"

"No, I already know, Steven," Jackie cut in with a derisive smile, scrunching her nose and drying her face with a nearby towel. "It was just sex. Right? I mean, I wouldn't want you to waste another minute of your precious time explaining it to me." With one final look of disdain, Jackie slid out the door and into the room as Hyde trailed close behind.

"What the hell is your problem right now?" he shouted after her. "You were fine when I left." Back to her silent punishment, Jackie secured her towel and lay down on the bed, facing away from him. "Jackie?!" More silence. "Man, fuck this."

Meaning to walk out the door, but remembering that he had no key, Hyde turned and stepped back into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. Neither coming or going, he shut his eyes and let his back fall against the door. Was he actually hiding from her in the damn bathroom? Hyde opened his eyes again and looked at his tired reflection. No. He was—He grabbed the other new toothbrush—brushing his teeth. That's what he was doing.

Turning on the water, Hyde began to scrub, making a conscious effort to drag it out for as long as possible. And as he did, his guilt began to surface. It had suppressed itself during the blissful fog of sex and intimacy, laying low when Jackie would smile and kiss him or wind her legs around his. But now, as he stared into his own guilty eyes, Hyde realized that he had risked his relationship with Jessica for nothing. It wasn't as if he had expected one with Jackie—he didn't _want_ one—but he also hadn't expected another fight. Not again…

* * *

Fifteen Minutes Later…

"_Is he…Hyde…I mean…Does he wanna get back together with you or something?"_

"I don't know. I don't think so."

"_Well what did he say?"_

"He didn't say anything."

"_Well,_ _Jackie! What did you…What about Colin?"_

The name stung her eyes. She'd been pushing his image from her mind for hours, trying like hell to put off the guilt that wanted to consume her. "Oh my God," Jackie began to cry, her chest shuddering with grief. "I'm gonna lose him, aren't I? He's gonna hate me, Kevin."

"_No. He's not gonna hate you because he's never gonna find out, Jackie."_ To that vow, said with such conviction, Jackie smiled. He always knew how to make her feel better, just through the brief reminder that he would claw his own mother's eyes out if it would help one of his best friends_. "Alright, I got it,"_ Kevin continued after a thoughtful pause_. "I'll take care of Scott. I'll just tell him you have the flu and that you called out but I forgot to tell him earlier. Whatever. He can kiss my fucking ass." _

Jackie giggled though her tears. "I love you."

"_Yeah, I love you, too. Be good. Hey, and no more sex with the ex," _he ordered._ "And call me when you get home."_

"K, bye."

Jackie hung up the phone and immediately looked up to see Hyde standing a few feet away from her and looking incredibly worn. She laid her head on the pillow and glanced at him again before closing her eyes. "What do you want?"

"Was that Colin?" he asked quietly. She could hear the slightest hint of irritation in his voice, though she was probably just imagining it. He was always irritated.

"No," Jackie answered, opening her eyes. "That was Kevin. My friend. Remember?"

"You tell all your guy friends you love them?"

"I tell all my best friends that I do. Yeah."

Deciding he was better off dropping the subject, Hyde stepped over and turned on the lamp to give the room some light. The dark sky outside hadn't offered much and the squinting was giving him a headache. With the flip of that switch, Jackie was revealed to him in full color, covered in her tiny little wrap and lying on her side. He could practically taste her skin, clean and young and, only a few hours ago, his to freely devour.

To his surprise, Jackie scooted over slightly to make room for him, albeit, never saying a word. Neither really knew what to say. And neither would look each other in the eyes, even as Hyde lay down beside her and tucked his hands beneath his cheek. In all their years apart, avoidance and anger had reigned. It had simply been easier than the alternative. It had been easier, Hyde thought, than admitting that the center of his chest felt five pounds heavier when she was in the room.

"Steven, look at me," Jackie demanded quietly. And when Hyde did, she continued. "Can I ask you something?"

"What," he barely opened his mouth to say.

"Do you really regret being with me?"

"Jackie, I wasn't saying that."

"No. No, Steven. I meant, you know, back when we were together. Last night, you said you wasted two years on me…That really hurt me, Steven."

Hyde looked tired to her, but his exhaustion became apparent when his eyes began to move again. He looked down and away as his body appeared to deflate from what looked like guilt, or was it anger?

"Jackie," he muttered soberly. "You gotta stop listening to shit I say. There's…I say a lot of crap I don't mean. Okay?"

Jackie shook her head. "No. No, Steven. It's not okay. You can't keep treating me like that and then just turn around and sleep with me like nothing happened," she explained, immediately deflating, too, as she threw up her hand tearfully. "But I _just_ let you, didn't I?"

"Hey. Come here," Hyde said as he reached out and hooked his arm around her waist to pull her closer. "You want the truth? I don't regret being with you, okay…I never did…If anybody should regret it…it's you."

With a pondering frown, Jackie looked away, amazed by her conclusion. "But I don't."

"Well you should," he said matter-of-factly, waiting briefly for her to respond but when she only sneered at him, Hyde let out a breath of acceptance. He was going to have to do better than that. "Alright, fine," he said, staring into her expectant eyes. "You're right. You don't deserve to be treated like that. It's not..." A deep inhale eased his tension as he held a pause. "It won't happen again…I promise."

At that, Jackie's brow furrowed and her jaw dropped about an inch. "Are you alright?"

Hyde grimaced with her. "What?"

"Well…" With curious amazement, Jackie scooted in closer. "I just…I can't believe you just said that. I mean…I'm glad but…" Her face softened into a tiny, but happy, pout. "Oh, Steven."

Freeing Hyde from his misery was her warm hand as it delicately landed on his cheek, sending his vision into the darkness again, behind closed lids. Lying there on his side, Hyde felt like his throat was going to cave in on him until the moment Jackie's soft lips touched his and relieved some of the strain on his senses.

Kiss after kiss, as Hyde drew her all the way in against his body, Jackie spoke to him in whispers. "You're so different, Steven… But… You're kinda the same, too... God, I don't know what I'm doing…" Jackie shut her eyes and the conversation ended there, punctuated with ten minutes of voracious kissing and a lost motel towel. All the while, outside, the storm raged on…

* * *

Forty-Eight Minutes Later…

Sitting by herself, once again, at the foot of the bed, Jackie slipped her boots on and fell backwards, her hair fanning out over the mussed sheets as her arms followed. In the light of day, she could see that this room was just that, a room. Not the daunting hell that it had become in her memories. And although, she and Hyde had unintentionally changed its history, she knew that their past could not be erased, no matter how much time had passed or how much he had changed. It would forever define them. Or would it?

Exhausted with endless questions, Jackie closed her eyes to get a little bit of rest as she waited for Hyde, who promised that he'd be right back. But it really didn't matter to her. She was happy for the break. She needed a moment to think without his lips distracting her, because here, alone in the silence, was where Colin would return to her. A gasping sob bubbled up from her chest, stinging her nose and wetting her eyes.

Her palms rose to wipe them dry. "God, I'm so sorry, baby," she whispered to him as the quickly tears filled her eyes again. Curling into a ball on her side, Jackie tried her best to wrangle and take possession of her thoughts. They were out of control. But beyond that, making it even worse, was that her mind and body were conflicted. One part of her missed Colin so badly that she just wanted to find him, bury her head into his chest and fall asleep forever. The other part ached for Hyde. Not in the same way as with Colin, but with an emotion that she could not pin down. All she could think was that she felt fucking high when Hyde kissed her. Maybe it was just that he just reminded her of home, of her intoxicated youth…the youth they spent together.

"Hey. Jackie…You asleep?" Jackie heard come from above. Looking up from her folded arms, she saw Hyde through blurry eyes, frowning. "What's the matter?"

She shook her head, aware that she probably looked like a wreck. She felt like one; that was for sure. No make-up, exhausted, same clothes as yesterday, cheating whore. It wasn't exactly a banner day for Jackie Burkhart. "Nothing. I'm fine," she claimed, but looking at him as he stared back, her bottom lip protruded, tears returning, arms rising.

Without hesitation, Hyde leaned down so she could wrap her arms around his neck and pull him down over her. His weight soon pinned her to the bed, his thick, warm body enveloping her, and, immediately, Jackie felt better. "I'm just… scared, Steven," she breathed out. "I'm scared he's gonna find out."

Hyde sighed. "He won't," he said somberly. "I promise." She squeezed him tighter and held him there for a several minutes until all of her worries were temporarily settled. "You ready to go?" he asked. "Wilbur and his wife are waiting." Nodding, Jackie let go of him, wiping her eyes and straightening herself up as she stood.

After grabbing her coat and her bag, Jackie walked toward the door, and let curiosity turn her around to tilt her head at Hyde. "Steven? What are the odds that we would end up in the same exact motel room that we broke up in…all the way out in Chicago? I mean, don't you find it a little weird? I mean, what if fate or God or someone brought us here on purpose?"

Hyde cleared his throat and pondered over her question. "Well…How do you really know that this is the exact same room? I don't remember the room number. Do you?"

Thinking it over, too, Jackie frowned. "No, actually, I don't."

"Well, there you go," Hyde said with a shrug and a smile. "Odds just went up."

Jackie smiled and walked out with Hyde right behind her. He turned to shut the door, and took another look at the room that housed their demise, his memory sharp as a tack. Room D could go get fucking bent, he thought to himself as he shut it, along with whatever brought them here…

* * *

Tommy's Auto Shop

Thirty-Eight Minutes Later

Hyde took one last Polaroid of Wilbur's car and handed the camera back to Jackie while he shoved half of the pictures he had taken into his pockets. He gave the other half to Jackie.

"Here. Take these. They're safer if they're separated," he said, pointing at her. "And don't do anything stupid with them."

Jackie sneered at her ex-boyfriend. "You mean like drop them into a tub full of funnel cake batter?"

Hyde nodded. "Yeah…And it wasn't funnel cake batter, it was the oil they get fried in," he reminded her and walked away.

Jackie rolled her eyes toward Carol. "You have no idea how many nights I spent listening to his lame theories about that stupid 'Car that runs on water."

Carol grimaced. "You're telling me? I spent my honeymoon searching for a 'four-chambered rear main seal'…whatever the hell that is." Jackie laughed, her dreamy demeanor reaching Carol with suspicion. "You slept with that boy," the older woman instantly accused.

Her smile fading, Jackie's entire body went rigid. "Huh?"

"Don't 'Huh' me, young lady. You slept with him, didn't you? I can see it all over your face."

"What?!" Jackie yelped with feigned shock. "That's crazy. I wouldn't…" Quickly, upon seeing Carol's bullshit-proof expression, Jackie changed tactics. "Oh! Are you referring to this stunning glow?" she asked, gesturing to her own face. "No, see, I _always_ glow like this. I was born with it." The two women stared at each other, Carol's eyebrow arched in dispute. "Fine, okay!" Jackie broke down and began to whine. "I couldn't help it. He's a _really_ good kisser, Carol."

That said, Carol tried to appear disappointed, but laughed instead, finding the melodramatic plight of her young, new friend rather beguiling. "Ugh, come here," she said, putting her arm over Jackie's shoulder. "It's gonna be fine. Just do like I said. Take some time for you, to figure stuff out. Cause you'll never be able to do it with Mr. Good Kisser's lips attached to yours."

Together, they nodded while, nearby, Wilbur put his arm around Hyde and leaned his head in. "You nailed her, didn't you?"

Guiltily, Hyde nodded. "Yep."

Silently, the two men nodded until Wilbur sighed and let go of Hyde to reach into his own pocket. "Course you did. Anyway, I want you to take this," he said, looking around suspiciously as he pulled out a small key and handed it to Hyde.

"What's this for?"

"Central Bank of Chicago. I have five safe deposit boxes that contain copies of all my blueprints and notes." Wilbur lowered his voice and leaned closer. "My closest friends and Carol have the other four. See, you're perfect cause you live far away and they don't know you."

The seriousness of the older man's tone caused Hyde to step even closer as his own voice turned equally conspiratorial. "Who are _they_?" he asked carefully.

Wilbur stepped back. "Who do you think, man?"

Hyde's body jerked. "Oh, yeah." Damn it. The government. The oil companies. What the hell was wrong with him? He was losing his, ever-so-brilliant, paranoid touch. He made a mental note: Gotta start hittin' it more often. "Right. Sorry."

Wilbur continued. "Well, if anything should happen to me, I want you to send all of that stuff to the Canadian media."

Hyde gave the old guy a confused scowl. God, there was more to this government conspiracy crap than he had ever realized. He had usually been high during his rants, so any one of sleep, food or sex would distract him from coming up with anything plausible. "Why Canada?" he asked, feeling as if he should already know the answer.

"Because, man. The Canadians hate our guts and would love to blow this whole thing wide open," Wilbur responded and patted Hyde on the back with a laugh, amused at the young man's naïve bewilderment. "You're a good kid. I trust you to figure it out."

Grinning, Hyde put the key into his pocket. "Thanks, man."

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Will. Did you give that boy a key?" Carol asked as she walked up with Jackie and folded her arms.

"Yes, I did," Wilbur told his wife proudly. "Why?"

Carol laughed and shook her head before turning to Jackie. "You better get Steven home before my husband corrupts him."

"Too late," Jackie contended happily. "Steven's been corrupted since birth. He grew up poor. It's part of his charm."

With an arrogant grin, aimed directly at Jackie, Hyde pulled the keys to the van out of his pocket. "That's right, baby…Now, come on. We gotta head out."

"Ok," Jackie said, turning to Carol for a hug. "Did he just call me 'baby'?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Jackie smiled giddily. "That means he's in a _frisky_ mood."

"Jackie," Carol warned. "Don't forget about what I said."

"I know," the brunette said, rolling her eyes. "I know. Well…Bye Carol. Thank you so much."

"No problem, sweetie. Just call me if you need to talk, or at least, to tell me what the hell happens. The curiosity is gonna drive me nuts…And plus, us old 'broads' need fodder for our gossip."

Jackie giggled and promised to call, giving her new friend a final kiss on the cheek before getting into the van with Hyde.

As they drove off, Wilbur put his arm around his wife's waist while she waved them off. "Yeah, those two are in deep shit," he concluded with a chuckle and quickly walked away to finish his work.

Carol smiled. "Yep…"

_HOW THEY KNOW…_

_March 3, 1951_

_Great Plains High School – Chicago, Illinois_

_Strutting down the hall with his friends, a sixteen year old Wilbur Malloy made eyes with the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen in his life – Diana Warner. She was a cheerleader, blonde, with curves in all the right places and a smile that could kill an otherwise healthy man._

"_Hey, Will," one of his friends said, tipping his chin toward the cheerleader. "Check out the stems on her." _

"_Screw the stems. Check out those cans," another cited. _

_Wilbur smirked at the girl, receiving a coy smile in return, her friends giggling all around her. "I'm gonna ask her to the dance," he said, never taking his eyes off of her. _

_As his friends joked and wrestled with each other, Wilbur flirted unabashedly from across the isle until he felt a tap on his shoulder. _

"_Wilbur," a small voice called from behind. "Hello? Earth to Wilbur!"_

_He turned around, rolling his eyes the moment he realized it was just his best friend, Arthur's, stupid little sister Carol. She was fourteen and a complete drag, always following him around and bugging the hell out of him every chance she got. "Get outta here, ya pest. I'm busy." _

"_Wilbur," a young Carol pleaded as she squeezed her books against her chest, her hand grabbing his jacket to keep him from turning back to the blonde who was watching him. "I need to talk to you."_

"_Wilbur! Wilbur!" he heard his friends tease as they took off without him. "I need you! Wilbur!"_

_Wilbur was pissed now. "What do you want now?" he growled at Carol._

_She looked nervous suddenly as her eyes grew rounder, making him calm down just a little. "I just…Well remember how I was telling you last week that Ricky Stanton asked me to the sock hop?"_

"_No," he sneered. _

"_Oh," she said with a pout. "Well, he did, and my mother made me the most beautiful baby blue dress…but…" Carol's eyes began to water. "He…He just told me that he doesn't want to go with me anymore. He asked Georgia Mathews instead."_

_Wilbur's face softened at the crying young girl before him. "Why are you telling me?"_

"_Well…" With big, alligator tears rolling down her cheeks, Carol threw her body into Wilbur's and buried her face into his chest. "Will you take me? My mother's making me go because of my dress and I'll be humiliated if I have to show up without a date." Carol stepped back. "We can even neck if you want," she nodded as a smile shined through her tears. _

_Wilbur's face twisted in puzzlement. "No…Thanks. I'm asking Diana Warner," he replied and turned around to walk away. Immediately, he caught eyes with his blonde fantasy while behind him the sorrowful crying of his best friend's sister, a girl he'd known since she was four, could be heard. But Diana smiled at him again, diverting his attention instantly. God, this girl was beautiful. He had been wanting her all year, and now she liked him. He could see it in her eyes as she gave him that little look, challenging him to walk over, to ask her. _

"_Wilbur, please," he heard as a quiet sob against his back and shut his eyes. Why did he even feel bad for her? He hated her but she was crying and begging and she had a baby blue dress. _

"_Alright," he grumbled through gritted teeth. Immediately, Carol ran around happily to his front side. She was smiling now, and bouncing slightly, while behind her head, Diana Warner rolled her eyes and walked away, making him wonder what he had been thinking, completely unaware that he had just chosen his wife. _

_Carol poked him in the chest. "Ok. Pick me up at six o'clock sharp! Don't be late! And you'll need to match me, so wear a baby blue boutonniere. And I think maybe you should get a haircut. I mean, this isn't a jungle, Wilbur. It's Chicago. And if you wanna make-out with me, you're gonna have to…"_

…Present Day…

From across Tommy's garage, Wilbur smiled at his best friend's baby sister as she sat back in her seat, bored, and painted her nails. Best decision he ever hated making…

* * *

The Van - One Hour Later

Somewhere between Chicago and Milwaukee

"Please Do Not Go' by the Violent Femmes plays on the tape deck.

Lost in a worn-out daze, Hyde tapped his fingers absentmindedly on the steering wheel as he drove, his mind focused on way more than just the wet road ahead. For the most part, it lay where he felt it probably should: on a pretty, young waitress turned corporate lackey. That's where his thoughts seemed to gravitate every time Jackie stared pensively out her window, not offering him any sort of distraction.

The idea of Jess finding out about what he had done made him wince and wish he were dead. Or close to it, anyway. She would be devastated, reduced to her knees in tears if she knew. But what pained him the most was that she would probably forgive him in the end, and say it was because she loved him so much. Hyde squeezed his eyes shut briefly. He didn't deserve to be loved, not like that. Not that fucking much. He wanted to shake her sometimes, scream at her for being so stupid and for falling so hard for an asshole like him. But he wouldn't. The truth was that he wanted, no, he needed her love.

Hyde's jaw clenched._ Fuck._

Looking to his right, hoping to grab Jackie's attention, Hyde cleared his throat.

_Distract me!_

Pushing the blonde's image aside, as expected, was the turn of Jackie's head and a bright smile, the one where her eyes got all squinty and always made him respond in kind, without fail. He wasn't sure what the hell he was doing here with her but he felt a little better about it now. Though, he hoped, as he concentrated on the road again, that she understood that whatever it was, it had to end. Once and for all. It just had to. There was just no way he was going to destroy the one person left in the world who could look at him with absolute faith.

As Hyde drove, his peripheral vision caught Jackie's arm reach out for the radio and, suddenly, the music stopped.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"I hate that music. It sucks."

"No, it doesn't. The crap you listen to sucks," he stated casually. "Put it back."

"No way," Jackie responded as she turned the radio dial, searching for something a little more her style. "You got to listen to what you wanted on the drive over yesterday."

"Yeah, cause it's my van," Hyde retorted. Glancing over, he received the look to kill all nasty looks, the one that made you fear for your shins and other sensitive places that you liked to use…with the looker. So, after sighing, he gave up and turned his eyes back to the road. "Whatever, fine."

Immediately, he was surprised with a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Steven. You're so sweet," she teased. "Like a fluffy little kitten."

"Yeah, yeah. Just…don't put on disco. That's all I ask."

"Deal. Disco's out anyway." Jackie continued to turn the dial. "It's all about the…Oh! I love this song," she exclaimed, stopping at Elton John's voice and grinning wide at Hyde. "It's not disco."

Hyde nodded jadedly. No, it wasn't.

_Oh, little Jeannie  
You got so much love, little Jeannie  
And you take it where it strikes  
And give it to the likes of me_

As Hyde's brow line wrinkled in irritation, the synapses in his brain began to fire with every musical note and lyric he heard, sparking something familiar that loitered just below the surface of his mind. Confused, he looked at Jackie.

"Hey, why does this sound…" ….familiar, he trailed off inwardly, looking back to scowl at the highway in front of him.

Jackie frowned. "Why does it sound what?"

Hyde shook his head, "Nothing," and searched his mind for a clear memory. He knew one existed because it was coming through in obscure bits and pieces. It was…It was about Jackie maybe. Something about…Hyde glanced over at her. Why did this song remind him of her?

_Oh, little Jeannie  
She got so much love, little Jeannie  
So I see you when I can  
You make me all a man can be_

Another spark, another trigger, and it hit him… Fez…

_April 4, 1980…_

_It was early on a Friday night and he had just dropped off his date. The girl was a virgin who wouldn't shut her damn mouth long enough to let him even kiss her. So, for that, she got an express ticket home after only an hour at the drive-in. _

_After that waste of time, Hyde found himself at the Hub, looking for his friends and a burger. And, as he had hoped, he ran into one immediately upon opening the door. It was Fez, walking out as he walked in. The song, this very song, had been playing inside. _

And I want you to be my acrobat  
I want you to be my lover  
Oh, there were others, who would treat you cruel  
And oh, Jeannie. You were always someone's fool

"_Hey, man," Hyde said, stopping his scowling, foreign friend before he could exit. "Where you going?"_

_Fez's shoulders relaxed. "Home."_

"_Why?" Hyde asked, looking around. "Is nobody here?"_

"_No. Jackie is here," Fez answered solemnly before raising his head up to Hyde, his eyes suddenly fixed hard on his friend's. "But just leave her alone, Hyde. She's already upset. So do not give her any your crap tonight. Okay?"_

_After a few passes around the busy diner, Hyde finally found Jackie sitting in the far booth by herself. Her head was down as she wiped her eyes discreetly. He shifted his attention back to Fez. "What's going on?"_

"_We broke up."_

Little Jeannie  
You got so much time, little Jeannie  
Though you've grown beyond your years  
You still retain the fears of youth

_It was difficult, but Hyde managed to fight through his penchant for burning. Their 'relationship' was a joke to him. Complete bullshit. There was no way Jackie really liked Fez, Hyde assured himself, especially not after dating **him** for two years. His ego wouldn't even entertain the thought. _

"_How come?" Hyde asked, subconsciously hoping to hear that Jackie had come to her senses and dumped the foreigner, maybe because she was still in love with her burnout ex-boyfriend. That would have made his night, knowing that he had been right, knowing that she still wanted him._

"_I just had to break up with her, Hyde," Fez admitted dejectedly, looking like a guy who had just kicked a puppy. "I had to. Things were not going well. All we do is argue now."_

_Hyde's face scrunched in complete confusion. "Wait, YOU broke up with HER?" _

"_Yes, I did. She is just not the same dazzling woman I spent all those years admiring. I mean, I love Jackie, do not get me wrong, but she's just so different now," Fez looked down. "Or maybe it is me who is different."_

Oh, little Jeannie  
You got so much time, little Jeannie  
But you're burning it up so fast  
Searching for some lasting truth

_Grimacing, Hyde took a more secure stance, spreading his legs further apart to brace himself for something he hadn't been prepared for. "Wait. Hang on. Let me get this straight. You,** Fez**, broke up with** Jackie** and now **she's** crying over **you**?" _

_Fez nodded sadly. "Hyde, I feel like such a bastard right now. Probably like how you must feel every day," he said casually. At that, Hyde's jaw clenched. "You know, this is all your fault. You really did ruin her," Through his sadness, the foreigner smiled. "She used to be so spirited and playful, you know?"_

"_Whatever, man. I didn't ruin anybody," Hyde responded in defense. "She turned into a bitch. That's what happened."_

"_Can you blame her?" Fez tossed in crossly. "Everything she has ever wanted has been taken away from her and now THAT is what's left," he charged, pointing at the small, vacant-eyed brunette in the corner. "The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her, too." Grabbing the door knob, a, now, teary-eyed Fez swung the door open angrily. "I have to go."_

And I want you to be my acrobat  
I want you to be my lover  
Oh, there were others who would treat you cruel  
But oh, Jeannie. I will always be your fool.

_A little shell-shocked, Hyde apprehensively walked over to Jackie's table and sat down. "Hey," he offered as she briefly glanced up at him. But without a word in response, her gaze returned to the empty space that seemed to hold her thoughts. A few more quiet moments ticked past and the girl didn't move, not an inch. "You hungry?" he asked._

_Dismally, Jackie shook her head as she continued to stare at nothing, making Hyde shift in his seat uncomfortably. He felt so awkward trying to comfort her over fucking Fez of all people. But mostly, he hated that her tears still had an effect on him. _

_Though, he had no idea what to say to her. "You want a milkshake or something?" _

_The brunette responded with another shake of her head, causing Hyde to flip his eyes up in annoyance. He was quickly growing impatient with her silence. _

And I want you to be my acrobat  
I want you to be my lover  
Oh, there were others, and I've known quite a few  
But oh, oh Jeannie. I'm still in love with you.

"_You wanna talk about it," he wound up saying irritably, not exactly an invitation for her to say yes. _

_And as Hyde had suspected she might, Jackie looked up at him with complete disgust._

"_Not with you," she snapped, her once empty eyes now full of contempt. "God, why are you even here, Steven? To remind me that I have no job and no boyfriend again? That I'm never gonna get married and have kids. Well, you were right, okay? I'm not," she cried, her tears increasing by the second. "Is that what you came over here to gloat about? What a loser I am? How I can't even keep Fez interested in me?"_

"_No," Hyde retorted back. "I was just trying to be fuckin' nice, okay."_

"_Well, don't, Steven. You suck at it." Her eyes fell back on the tabletop. "Just go away and leave me alone."_

You stepped into my life from a bad dream  
Making the life that I had  
Seem suddenly shiny and new  
Oh Jeannie. I'm so in love with you

"_Fine." Hyde shot up from his seat with a heady mixture of anger and embarrassment, having had arrogantly assumed that his shoulder would still be precious real estate in her world. But, he had been wrong. Those days were long gone. "Have fun by yourself. You better get used to it," he spat as he walked away, regretting the words the second they flew out of his bitter mouth. But he walked out anyway, projecting the very opposite. _

_Once outside, curiosity forced him to look in the window at her. To his surprise, she appeared fine. No more tears or expression of despair. She was just sitting there, blankly staring at the tabletop and chewing on the inside of her cheek, looking beautiful. And it hit him. Fez had been right. Everything had been essentially taken from her - her career, her dignity, her best friend, and now, from what he could see, her only source of comfort, Fez. And he finally understood. Fez had become her new shoulder while his own had become obsolete. It was strange how much things had changed. How much they all had…_

_You stepped into my life from a bad dream  
Making the life that I had seem  
Suddenly shiny and new  
Oh Jeannie. I'm so in love with you… _

Pulling Hyde from his memory was a sudden indent of pressure on the seat near his hip and a soft pair of lips that began to leave slow, desirous kisses all over his neck.

Without another thought, Hyde coiled his right arm around Jackie's waist and tugged her closer, making her squeal with delight. Eager little kisses peppered his face and when he risked another glance at the spirited brunette, a soft, little hand scathed his rough cheek and pulled his head to the right.

"Gimme a kiss, Steven," Jackie purred.

But before Hyde could respond, his lips were being commandeered by hers. Still, he had to force his eyes back on the road as he simultaneously battled the instinct to close them, especially when her tongue invaded his mouth and drew him into a series of deep kisses.

"Jackie," he mumbled as desperate muscles continuously pried his eyelids open, her scalding hot mouth and now southwardly roaming hands obliterating his concentration altogether. "I'm gonna crash if you keep doing that."

Jackie giggled and continued her playful assault on his body. "Well…" After kissing her way down to his lap, she lightly bit at the soft flesh hidden beneath his jeans. "How about now?" she asked in jest.

"No…I mean, yeah…I mean…Crap." Hyde shut his eyes, swallowing hard, when he heard and felt the downward zip of his fly. "God damn, Jackie," he grunted softly and looked down in time to watch her grin up at him and take his mushroom tip into her mouth. "It's official," he declared with a nod. "I claim for you 'Shotgun for life'…"

* * *

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Jackie's Apartment Complex Parking Lot

One Hour Later

By the time Hyde pulled into one of the guest spots and put his van in park, the air around him and Jackie had gone completely silent. They had come to the end of the road. No more could they ignore the discussion that they had been putting off since the night before. No more could kisses disguise intentions. It was time to say something.

Through the rain, Jackie looked up at her apartment window while, beside her, Hyde stared into the abyss of his steering wheel. All she could think was that it had all been so clear the morning before - the sky – their lives. But today, the world around them was veiled beneath storm clouds and turned inside out. Because, for the second instance in their young lives, she and Steven Hyde had let their mutual attraction consume them, but this time, the stakes were much higher than the minor bruising of Michael Kelso's fickle, teenage heart.

Grabbing her bag, Jackie tucked her hair behind her ear and turned her head left while Hyde turned his right, finally making eye contact. She held his gaze and tried like hell to read his face, leaving her, in the end, with only one thing to say…

"So you wanna come inside?"

Hyde nodded immediately. "Yeah," he said while both swung open their doors and stepped straight out into the storm…

* * *

**A/N2:** Ok, I know that wasn't my best chapter. But I tried my best; if that counts for anything. -Smile- Please, please review. It only takes a few seconds. And... ♥ Happy Valentine's Day! ♥ 


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 – Sex, Lies, and Library Fines **

**A/N: **Thank you to those of you who reviewed. I was sad to see that many left me. But those of you who stayed, thank you, and I promise I won't make it too painful. Though, this one might test your faith in me. Not THAT badly, though, I don't think. This chapter: You wanted the gang, you got 'em. Heck, you got the entire cast. Hehe. Ok, so pay attention to those dates and times as they come up. Oh, and open up a Youtube page, this one's got music. We begin with Gypsy by Fleetwood Mac. Enjoy…

* * *

**Previously: **

"So you wanna come inside?"

Hyde nodded immediately. "Yeah," he said while both swung open their doors and stepped straight out into the storm…

* * *

_August 24, 1977… _

"…_Well, I'm gonna go drive mine. Catch you guys later." _

'_No!' Jackie remembered screaming in her head. He was leaving… without her! _

"_Wait. Wait, Steven. Where are you goin'?" _

"_What do you care?" _

"_I don't," she responded swiftly, suddenly aware of their company as Hyde walked out the door. _

_Jackie stood up. "Um…You know, I just remembered that I have to go to the mall," she said, backing up, scouring her brain for an excuse, "because they're having this big Monday Madness sale." _

"_Jackie, it's Tuesday." _

_She opened the door, "See! Total Madness," and ran out, heading up the stairs as fast as her feet would carry her. "Steven!" she whispered harshly as she neared the top, relieved when Hyde stepped out in front of the midday summer sun and extended his arm out to her. _

"_Come on, hurry up," he whispered back, grabbing her hand to pull her across the driveway. "Did anyone follow you?" _

"_No," Jackie answered as she pulled at him to stop, causing him turn around and face her. "I thought you were just being a jerk and leaving without me!" _

"_Yeah and you almost blew it for us," he snapped back. _

"_Well how was I supposed to know what you were doing? And plus, it was YOU who almost blew it by punching Michael." _

_Jackie watched his stance become defensive as his expression quickly twisted into a scowl. "He was hitting on you." _

"_So?" _

"_So?!" Hyde's lips pursed as she stared blankly at him, honestly not comprehending what the problem was. It wasn't like she was flirting back. "You know what, forget it. Let's just go," he wound up saying before he let go of her hand and walked around to the driver's side of the El Camino, only stopping when he realized that she hadn't moved. "You coming or not?" _

"_Fine," Jackie snapped. "But while we're making out, you better do some serious thinking about your attitude," she ordered sternly as she followed and got inside. "So where are we going anyway?" _

_And with that arrogant, smartass grin that always drove her nuts, Hyde looked her up and then down. "Somewhere where I can do a lot of 'thinking'. Like… your bedroom." _

_Rolling her eyes away, Jackie glanced around the usually busy Forman driveway. Turning back to him, she realized that the car hadn't moved, mostly because he was too busy checking out her damn legs. "Steven! Go before we get caught!" _

_Hyde waved her off. "Alright, alright…Just calm down. It's not gonna happen," he assured her with complete and utter confidence as he turned the ignition. "Me and you, we're way smarter than any of those dumb asses in there." _

_In agreement, Jackie nodded sympathetically. "Better looking, too." _

"_That's right," Hyde agreed while he threw the gear in reverse and backed out. "Man, they'll never figure it out." _

_With an ecstatic smile, Jackie slapped his thigh and squeezed, smitten with his brilliance. "You know what, Steven? You're totally right! They're all too stupid," she giggled. "They'll never catch us!" _

_At that, the young, new couple gave each other an egotistical smirk and shook their heads. _

_Ever… _

…So I'm back to the velvet… underground…

**Wednesday, November 7, 1984 - 5:37pm**

**Milwaukee** **Wisconsin**

**Jackie's Apartment **

_Back to the floor that I love  
To a room with some lace and paper flowers_

Clad in only a pink, satin slip, Jacquelyn Burkhart stared into her bathroom mirror and swayed to the tune of Fleetwood Mac, completely unaware that every swing of her hips, every twist of her tiny waist, every move she made, was being memorized by drowsy blue eyes.

_Back to the gypsy…that I was  
To the gypsy…that I was _

Too lost in her own world to notice, the made up brunette tilted her head, as she continued to dance, and brushed through her long dark hair, quickly noticing that she had missed a small section. So, with a frustrated exhale, she grabbed her crimping iron and clamped the stubborn lock down. It was then, as she waited, that Jackie smiled and dipped her finger into an old silver tin of watermelon lip gloss—Hyde's favorite—and rubbed the shiny flavor onto her errantly swollen lips…

_And so it all comes down to you  
Well you know that it does, well  
Lightning strikes, maybe once, maybe twice _

Lying on his side in the adjoining room, surrounded by hills of white fluff and flowers, Steven Hyde smirked sleepily. He had been watching his ex-girlfriend groom herself for a little more than ten minutes now, soaking in every last detail of her as he peered over the bedspread, completely captivated by what he saw. She was a woman now – a very grown, beautiful woman, sovereign in her own little 'Jackie' universe.

_Oh...and it lights up the night  
And you see your gypsy  
You see your gypsy _

Everything about the girl was innately feminine and soft and so fucking sexy. Even the way she had singed the tip of her thumb on that bright pink contraption, cursed like a sailor, and then sucked it gently between her lips, even that, had played out amazingly in her favor.

With an arch of his brow, Hyde inhaled deeply and snapped out from her hypnosis to look around the room he was lying in. It was mostly decorated in pink and white frill and littered with all kinds of girly ass crap. Trinkets and clothes and pictures, shoes and candles; all clean and welcoming

_To the gypsy that remains  
And faces freedom, with a little fear  
I have no fear, I have only love _

Some of the latter were lit around him, flickering against the darkness and giving her bedroom a cozy, warm glow. Damn, Hyde thought to himself, even he had to admit that this room and this bed, that this life, was comfortable. So much so that he didn't want to leave it. He didn't want to go from here to a cold hospital room or back to his lonely apartment. Fuck no. He wanted to stay and order in and lay down with his ex-girlfriend in time to catch Cheers. He wanted to make-out with her until it was over and then bitch and complain about how they'd missed it. About how she'd distracted him. And then make-out with her some more.

_And if I was a child  
And the child was enough  
Enough for me to love  
Enough to love _

Glancing at the television—put on by Jackie to keep him occupied while she dressed—Hyde briefly watched the five o'clock news. Stories of storm damage and rain-related deaths in the upper mid-west dominated the local broadcast. They were calling it the storm of the decade, even worse than the blizzard of '82… in terms of the death toll anyway.

_She is dancing away from you now  
She was just a wish, she was just a wish  
And her memory is all that is left for you now _

Bored, Hyde's eyes drifted back toward the flawless female form in the bathroom and resumed watching the evening's best entertainment. This time, Jackie was leaned forward, her face mere inches from the mirror, making her silky little 'dress' rise perfectly. Hyde grinned happily and was caught instantly when she turned her head.

_You see your gypsy  
You see your gypsy… _

"Steven," Jackie berated teasingly as her entire body spun around and began to slowly step toward him, an inquisitive, yet amused, look on her face. "Were you… watching me?"

Hyde let his eyes and faint smirk answer her question while she closed in on him.

"You were," Jackie concluded with a smile. "Yeah, that happens a lot." She flipped her eyes to the ceiling coyly before her knee hit the bed and her body followed, climbing over to straddle his, "It's cause I'm just too pretty to ignore," she shrugged shamelessly, nodding as Hyde placed his hands on her hips.

"You're beautiful," he corrected and let her prematurely celebrate with a satisfied and vain smile. "But…" he added critically. "You'd be even more beautiful if you'd shut the hell up about it."

Her smile fell. "Steven. You know, Colin's gone and somebody's gotta say it and if I don't, then who will?"

"See," he showed her. "Not so pretty anymore."

"Steven," Jackie scolded, giving him a genuinely hurt look.

Hyde flipped his eyes upward and dammed back a smile. "Jackie, I'm kidding."

"Well, it wasn't very nice," she frowned.

Returning her expression, Hyde sat up and yanked her body slightly forward, flush against his, to grab her attention. "Well, why don't you try not talking about your boyfriend for five whole minutes then? That would be nice."

Jackie smiled. "Steven," she giggled. "Are you… Are you _jealous_?"

"No," he answered sternly. Her smile grew. "_No_," he repeated louder.

As Jackie sat, staring at her former lover, her breathing past, she searched for his thoughts. It was a daunting task, considering his eyes really didn't express much. No love, no hate, no anger nor hurt. He did smirk, though, and pull her closer, nuzzling the skin on her neck as he squeezed her body tightly against his. And as he began to suck and bite, something occurred to her – He wasn't supposed to be here. This bed, her body, the skin that he was suckling, they all belonged to another man, one who had lovingly claimed them for his own, who had claimed to want them forever, who had claimed that he would submit his whole self just to have them…who had actually earned them.

She was about to stop Hyde, to remind him that they needed to talk when, to her surprise, he sighed and pulled his mouth away from her. "Jackie, we need talk. We shouldn't be doing this."

"Excuse me," Jackie said angrily, suddenly feeling rejected. "Oh, we're doin' this, mister…"

* * *

Three Minutes Later…

Painfully, Hyde squeezed his eyes shut as they sat, Jackie straddling his hips, on the center of the bed. Her mouth was making him fucking crazy—so hot and wet and hungry for his. "Jackie…" he growled irritably until thin, feminine fingers with long, polished fingernails scraped gently up the back of his neck and into his hair. "…Aw, fuck." Lips touched his as a warm, slippery, saccharine-coated tongue plunged into his mouth and, fuck it, he gave in. There seemed no other choice. A rage filled inside of him as their kisses grew frantic, not out of anger, but of lust and want and the fact that he was really fucking pissed off that he had to feel bad about wanting her, about wanting to fuck her and kiss her and watch fucking Cheers with her.

Grabbing a chunk of Jackie's crimped hair to bring her mouth harder against his, Hyde gave her what he figured she was really seeking: silence. And when her lips were brutally locked on his and kissing him the way he wanted, his hands abandoned her hair for her hips, where he clutched her flesh and forced her weight down over his erect cock.

"Jesus Christ, Jackie," he groaned with an agonizing need that he couldn't recall feeling in recent months. He had to have her. Somehow, in the hours between last night and this, restraint had ceased to exist. His body wanted hers, it wanted inside…deep inside…and there was no more control to insist he stop. Jackie was his. That's how his body felt anyway. She was fucking his.

With a flex of his biceps, he made their bodies rise until he was lying over her, pushing her slip above the dip of her bellybutton where he began to bite and kiss and taste the flesh that he had claimed for himself long ago. These were his legs that were draped over his body, those were his fingers that were gripping and pulling at his hair, this was his skin that he was tasting,_ she_ belonged to him. For now...

* * *

Forman Basement – Same Time

The sound of footsteps coming from Hyde's old room caused Donna to crane her neck back to catch sight of the silliest thing she'd ever seen. Immediately, a giant belly laugh escaped her lungs and brought the basement to life as Eric put his arms out and smiled.

"Huh! Right! What do you think?"

Donna nearly fell to the floor laughing. "Oh my God, Eric. Oh my God, that's hilarious!" she gasped through her guffaws.

"What?" he exclaimed, his eyebrow arched histrionically as he adjusted his black beret. "I look good."

A grating snort left the redhead's nose as she finally fell onto the floor beneath the couch. "You look like you should be reading poetry in a beatnik bar," she chortled.

"Yeah, laugh it up, chuckles," Eric said, taking a seat on Hyde's chair as his fiancé continued to laugh. "You'll see. Beret's are coming back."

Sitting back against the foot of the couch, Donna pulled herself together and scrunched her nose. "Aw, my little French fry, so are all those junior high ass kickings if you don't take that stupid thing off."

"I don't care. I like it."

"Eric and Donna," they heard shouted in song, accompanied by the barreling feet of Michael Kelso as he trotted down the basement steps, followed by his bride-to-be. "What's…Oh!" Kelso's jaw dropped in amused shock as he gave the room a goofy grin. "Nice beret, Eric," he snickered as Donna joined in. "What'd you lose a bet or something?"

"Alright, ha ha," Eric smiled and nodded, gesturing for the taller man to bring it on as Brooke took a seat next to Donna on the couch. "Let's have it. Just get it all out of your system now."

"I thought only gay guys and college geeks wore berets. Op! I guess I was right!" Kelso teased, laughing at his own joke as Eric nodded and encouraged more with a few more 'bring it on' waves of his fingers. Excited for the challenge, Kelso's smile grew. "Uh, uh, a lame French guy called! He wants his lame hat back!"

Eric nodded as Kelso cracked up at himself. "Is that it?"

The taller man's smile fell. "Yeah, I'm done," he grumbled as he hopped up on the dryer. "I'll think of more later. So you just be ready," he pointed.

Shaking her head, Donna turned her attention to Brooke. "So, where are the kids?"

"Upstairs with Eric's mom. She's gonna watch them while we go see Leo."

"Hey! So has anybody talked to Hyde yet?" Kelso directed at the redhead.

"No, we still can't find him. I called like ten times," Donna answered and it was then, while Brooke was staring at Eric's hideous hat, that Brooke noticed the skinny boy staring at her strangely. Her scowl grew deeper when he waggled his eyebrows and widened his eyes suggestively at her. And when his finger poked in and out of the hole his other hand was making, her mouth fell. Was he…Was he hitting on her?

"Okay, kids!" They could hear elatedly from upstairs. "Who wants some of Grandma Kitty's famous peanut butter balls?!"

"Oh, I do!" Kelso screeched, making a run for the stairs as Donna laughed.

"Kelso, I think she was talking to your kids," she giggled and turned to Brooke. "Yeah, the last time she made those, she was drunk and accidentally laced them with…Oh, crap!" Donna shot up from the couch and followed Kelso's path up the stairs. "Kids! Don't eat Grandma Kitty's balls!"

That left Brooke and Eric, who smiled and raised his eyebrows, taking a quick glance up the steps. "Finally," he purred. "Now we can talk…alone."

Brooke stood up. "You pervert! You get a beret and all of a sudden you're some sort of sexual deviant?"

"What? No," Eric stood up, too. "I just meant that, you know, the thing about Jackie and Hyde. I figured you might know more than I do."

"And what do you know?" she asked suspiciously, taking an aggressive step forward as Eric swallowed hard and stepped back.

"You know," Gulp, "about Halloween."

"What about Halloween? They only kissed," the brunette reminded him, or so she thought. "Right?"

She took another step forward, causing Eric's body to tense as his eyes grew round in the face of a serious ass mangling from Hyde. "Oh…right," he fibbed, backing toward the basement stairs. "Yeah. Just kissed…_What?"_ he yelled, cupping his hand over his ear. "What was that ma? Sure, I'd love some balls!"

"Wait!" Brooke shouted, stopping him in mid-take-off. "Don't even think about it, twitchy. What do you know?" she queried, giving him a light push.

Eric gulped. "Nothing."

"Liar," the librarian accused angrily as she pinned him to the stair's railing and poked him in the chest. "You better fess up right now, because I've got ways of making a man talk."

"Such as…" he led.

Brooke folded her arms. "Such as I think Donna would be interested to know that you've been checking out a lot of books lately on the mating habits of barnyard animals."

Eric scowled. "But I haven't che…" Then his face fell and expressed a mixed look of respect and stoicism. "Oh, I see…Well played, madam. Well played."

"Spill it," Brooke demanded.

His stoicism growing, Eric raised his chin. "I'll talk. But first," he narrowed his eyes poignantly. "I have some last requests."

"What?"

"I have a sixteen dollar library fine at the college. I want a full pardon."

Brooke thought about it. "I'll have to talk to my people…What's the other thing?"

"When I'm gone," Eric added, anticipating the painful death that would befall him once a certain record store owner discovered the betrayal. "I want Donna taken care of."

Understanding, Brooke nodded. "Done…Now, spill…"

* * *

Twenty-seven minutes later…

As Jackie lay still, silently staring at the ceiling with one of her high school sweethearts, she finally began to feel the physical effects of the comedown. Every high had one. Every high, by nature, had its low. That feeling was never meant to be free. She sighed. No. It came with a price.

Beside her, out of view, Hyde's body rest, naked and exhausted, and Jackie wondered, when had she become a whore? Furrowing her brow, she tried to remember.

Pulling the sheets over her breasts, Jackie gave up and rolled away onto her stomach, closing her eyes as she tried to ignore the warm hand that immediately began to stroke her back. After an entire life of making plans for tomorrow, all she could now do was hunker down in the moment. Thinking beyond that only caused an agonizing sense of fear to churn mercilessly in her gut. With every passing hour, from the moment the month had begun, she had dug herself deeper into shit, giving in to every temptation and bodily pleasure, assisting Hyde in his pursuit of the same. But it was all crashing down around her now, and after nearly seventeen hours of intoxication, Jackie was coming down. Hard.

"Jackie," her accomplice's voice called softly from behind, followed by a light kiss between her shoulder blades.

"Huh?" she replied vacantly, finding some comfort in the traveling drops of rain that dotted her window.

"I gotta go."

Why those words made her feel as though she were the only person left on the planet, she wasn't sure. But loneliness, or the fear of it anyway, actually explained a lot. Would she have slept with Steven if Colin had never left? Probably not, she decided. No. Most definitely not.

"You're gonna wait fifteen minutes before you leave, right?" he asked her a moment later as his head came to rest on her back, his soft curls cooling her skin. "Cause you know they're all gonna be there."

"Uh huh," she let out with a slow breath, barely registering his words as she watched a single raindrop make the long journey down from the top of her window, zigzagging like a Plinko puck until it eventually reached the bottom.

"Hey," she heard him hum quietly. He knew she wasn't really listening. She could hear it in his voice. Huh. Maybe she was listening. "I think I'm gonna go home after and grab some stuff before I come back…here. Okay?"

Jackie remained quiet, suddenly feeling the dull pressure of a headache coming on. Maybe he would just go away, make the decision for her.

"Jackie?" Because, as much as she liked to believe that she was a strong, decisive woman, when it came to certain men in her life, she was putty. Slutty putty.

Upon her name, silence finally arrived. He must have given up. He was quiet for such a long while after, at least as long as it took for three more raindrops to, one by one, follow the path of the first. His curls soon left her back and she heard a sigh, a soft one, not one of frustration, which is what she had been expecting from her rather intolerant ex-lover.

But then Hyde spoke again, surprising her, so low, though, that she could barely hear. "Did you change your mind?"

Jackie shut her eyes again, aware of the crossroads spanned before her, like the many she had so callously ignored in the past week. Had she ever made up her mind in the first place? Opening her eyes, she turned back to find the matured face of the scruffy boy she had stalked in her youth. Something about him had always intrigued her. Maybe it was his indifference or his aloofness or the fact that he was the only boy that wouldn't even give her a second glance, besides Eric. Yet, here he was, risking something he cared about just for a roll in the hay with her.

Jackie smiled softly, her eyes stinging with the threat of tears. But not of sadness, just out of her overwhelming need for a nap. "I feel so guilty right now," she confessed to him, sitting up to close her arms around his neck. "But then… sometimes I don't, Steven."

"Yeah, me, too," he returned quietly with a hug.

She sat back to see his eyes, cupping his rough, stubbly jaw line as she did. "What's wrong with us?"

'I don't know,' he mouthed and looked down, satisfying her selfish desire to bring him down with her. If she was going to feel like shit, then so was he, damn it. But the shame on his face made her guilt only grow and she immediately regretted bursting his little bubble of contentment. He had been happy for a moment. He had still been high on her.

"Hey," Jackie smiled, kissing his forehead, "Wait here. I wanna show you something."

After she wrapped the sheet around her body, Hyde watched her leave and moved to the edge of the bed to grab his clothes and dress. And just as he finished, shoes and all, Jackie walked in again, carrying a stack of pictures. She looked nervous as she sat down and reluctantly handed him the photos.

Without a word, he looked at what she was offering. The first picture was of her and Colin, sitting on, what looked like, Kelso's couch, both frowning at the camera as they cuddled closely together. He immediately moved on. The next was similar. But the next was different; they were kissing through smiles of laughter.

"Jackie, what the hell is this?" he asked her with a sneer of new disdain.

"They're pictures of me and Colin."

"Yeah, I can see that. Why the hell do I have 'em?"

"Because," she replied with a loud gulp. "I-I want you to see why I want him." As she steadfastly held his gaze, obviously nervous, but determined, Jackie took the pictures back. "Because I do…want him, Steven. Nothing's changed that."

He wasn't sure what she wanted him to say. Though, he felt a strange sense of relief mixed with a slight pang of disappointment. "Well…good. Cause I'm still with Jessica."

Jackie gave him a sad smile. "Well, that's good. Really, Steven…She's really nice." Awkwardly, she looked down. The music had stopped and the quiet was deafening. "I think you…I'm really happy that you found someone."

"Yeah," he muttered, almost to himself, the disappointment smothering his relief. He may not have wanted her in the way that he did in his youth. But some part of him still wanted some part of her. Maybe it was just physical, he didn't know, but, what he did know, for sure, was that she wanted Colin. She wanted her boyfriend. "Well I guess I better go."

Quicker than he meant to, Hyde stood up and was instantly struck dizzy. He'd been lying down today more than he was used to. He'd been lying with her. Standing still with his back to Jackie, Hyde waited for his head to clear and his feet to move. But instead of forward, they turned him around. Going by experience, he knew that if he walked out like this, right now, that it would be difficult to get back to this comfortable place with her. And he liked it here. More than he thought he would.

"When does, um…Colin get back?" he asked shyly, too wary to even look at her.

Still shocked that he had turned around, had asked that question, Jackie's heart began to race. Her throat became dry. Fingers turned numb. Eyes grew anxious. "The 19th," she answered, her voice wringing with fear. "What about Je…"

"The 17th," he swiftly answered, looking up at her.

Suddenly Jackie moved, drawing his attention with her as she took a few steps toward her nightstand. Opening the top drawer, her little fingers reached inside and pulled out something he couldn't see. For some reason, she wouldn't look him in the eyes as she walked over to him and grabbed his hand, turning his palm up to place a small key dead center.

"In case I'm asleep," she uttered gently and stunned him with bright green and blue. He stared back, thinking to himself that she seemed even more beautiful than ever. White sheets really suited her, especially against her long dark hair, hung over her 'soft, creamy, porcelain' skin.

With a slight smile, Hyde nodded.

"I'll be fifteen minutes behind you," she told him.

With that, he left, telling himself the entire way back to his van that he could stop whenever he wanted. He just didn't want to. Not yet…

* * *

Kenosha Medical Center – Kenosha, Wisconsin

Forty-Seven Minutes Later

The sweet smell of rain was everywhere as Jackie turned her eyes up to the dark night sky. She had been leaning against her car for several minutes now, trying to rally her nerves and tame her emotions before she went inside. Warm feelings, ones that she hadn't experienced in years, were slowly returning home to her chest, back from wherever they had ventured. Feelings about him, except, this time, they were being felt by her experienced heart, bruised and battered, but beating with determined prudence nonetheless. She wasn't going to let him pull her in this time. He wasn't going to get inside.

Looking back at the busy world around her, people rushing into the hospital to see the ones they loved, an old man walking out alone, Jackie decided that she had waited long enough and began to head toward the bright lights of the emergency room.

Past the chaos and up the elevator, she finally reached the third floor that housed a very sick Leo. Stopping short of his room, Jackie took a deep breath, reapplied her lip gloss and tried to get the 'I just fucked someone I shouldn't have' look off her face. Taking another deep breath, she planted a fake smile on her face and flounced into the room where she saw Brooke and Eric standing over a sitting Hyde, looking like a punished child with his head down.

"Hey," Jackie said in her usual, happy tone.

Brooke's head snapped toward her, her eyes full of fire and surprise. "Don't 'hey' me," the librarian spouted and stormed toward Jackie with a stiff finger pointed at a very tortured-looking Hyde, who only stared vacantly at the floor. "How could you not tell me that you slept with him? I'm supposed to be one of your best friends!"

Jackie's heart dropped below her knees while her stomach rocketed to her throat, wringing a small gasp as her gaze shot back over to Hyde. Panicked, Jackie's first instinct was to deny the hell of the accusation, lie her fucking ass off until Brooke screamed in frustration and then run, but she was too pissed to even try.

"Steven!" Jackie shouted instead. "Why would you tell them what happened?!"

He looked up at her and tossed up his hands in defense, "Hey don't look at me." He pointed at Eric. "It was my soon-to-be-screaming-out-in-pain best friend who ratted us out."

Jackie turned her anger left toward the skinny twerp. "Eric! How could you?!" But something popped into her head. Something was wrong. "Wait," Jackie frowned, shifting her attention back to Hyde. "How does he even know?"

"Because he," Brooke interjected with another finger aimed at Hyde, "tells his best friend things!"

Jackie gasped. "Steven!" She couldn't help it. She wanted to kill him. Her purse practically swung itself around to hit him in back of his big, fat, stupid head. "You idiot!"

"Ow!" he shouted, grabbing his skull. "Damn it, Jackie! That fuckin' hurt!"

"You told Eric about last night?!" she yelled at him.

Eric's face scrunched in confusion. "Wait, last night?"

"Last night,"Brooke followed, just as perplexed.

"No," Hyde growled, finally getting up from his seat to step into Jackie's face. "I told him about Halloween, _Jackie!_ Your _big mouth_ just told them about last night!"

Her face falling, Jackie sulked into her own skin. "Oh," she smiled painfully at Hyde. "Oops."

"Yeah," Hyde said, scooting closer to her in a show of solidarity. "Just shut up from here on out," he whispered in her ear. "Don't say another word."

Eric glanced between the two of them. Hyde, then Jackie, and then Hyde again; both looking guiltier than two fat guys in a Twinkie factory. With narrowed eyes and a melodramatically arched eyebrow, he nodded. "Oh. So… that's where you two were last night. Off doing…sex things to each other while the rest of us sat here with Leo."

"Hey. Watch it, Forman," Hyde warned. "I meant to come see Leo."

"Yeah, it's not like we planned to get stuck in Chicago," Jackie added in his defense.

" Chicago?" Brooke repeated quizzically. "Jackie, what was he doing with you in…" Stopping herself, Brooke brought her hands up to her eyes and sighed, trying her best to gather her thoughts before she went too far and pushed her friend away with rash accusations and unfair judgment. "Jackie," she began again, more calmly this time as she took a deep breath. "Why would you sleep with him? I mean…You know what a complete asshole he can be."

Hyde grimaced at Kelso's soon-to-be wife. "Hey."

"I know," Jackie whined in agreement, thinking back to every tear and every gripe about Hyde that she had laid upon her friend's welcoming shoulder almost a lifetime ago. "I know."

"Hey." Hyde turned his sneer toward Jackie, wondering when the hell everyone forgot he was still in the room. What the fuck? They had talked about what an asshole he was?

"Come on, Jackie. Spill it!" the taller girl demanded, growing frustrated with Jackie's purposeful silence. "Right now! What is going between you two?!"

"I'd start spilling fast, too, young lady," Eric threw in from behind Brooke. "Cause for a librarian, she's pretty ruthless. She's got ways. Like the mob."

At that, Brooke nodded while she and her twitchy partner folded their arms and stared expectantly at Jackie. Neither bothered with Hyde, though—who stood with his arms folded in defiance—both knowing that he would denounce Zeppelin before he would buckle to threats.

Jackie, on the other hand, was a wounded gazelle stumbling along the edge of the herd.

"Fine!" the theatrical brunette confessed loudly, throwing her hands up in surrender as she bent to the intense pressure she was feeling. "Steven and I…"

"Jackie, don't!" Hyde yelled, trying to cut off her poisoned words as he grabbed her arms. But it was too late.

"We're having an affair!" she blurted out, throwing her face into her hands while Hyde immediately dropped his head backwards in exasperation and wandered away. "But we can stop any time we want to," Jackie argued, looking at her friend with sincerity. "I swear, Brooke. I'm not back there."

"Well then stop," Brooke insisted, her voice falling back into its usual soft tone, infinitely laced with concern for her friend.

The naiveté of this fairly new member of their gang prompted Eric to roll his eyes, though. Brooke was clueless to the levels of stupidity that his best friend could reach in the presence of hers.

Jackie nodded. "We'll stop."

"Wait a minute," Eric sang suspiciously as he stepped around Brooke to stand between the two girls. "I don't think we can trust a single word that comes out of her lyin' little mouth, Brooke," he canted with a distrustful look that was directed at tiny brunette that he had spent years watching his friends compete over, who, he was pretty sure, bled hellfire. "Cause she tried this once before," he told Brooke, his eyes locked in battle with Jackie's. "Oh, yeah. This 'We can stop whenever we want' malarkey…the last time we heard it, there began two of the darkest years Point Place has ever seen."

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Oh, it wasn't that bad, you beret-wearing spaz!"

"Oh, it was that bad, Yoko," Eric shot back. "So why don't you just sit your cheatin', hat-hatin' ass down."

Having had enough, Hyde crossed back through the scene and pushed Eric into a nearby chair. "You sit the hell down before I kick your ass, Forman," he threatened, taking the seat next to him and ripping off his beret. "And take this damn thing off before I beat you with it!"

Rolling her eyes, Brooke focused back on her friend. "Look, Jackie. This is just wrong, okay. You're cheating on Colin and you need to stop before he finds out."

Eric scoffed beside Hyde, terminally unafraid as he placed his beret back on his head. "They're both cheating. And they both need to stop."

"Stop what?" Donna's voice suddenly rang out, saving Eric's life and startling the foursome into silence. They may not have been in agreement on much, but they could all deduce that neither Donna nor Kelso needed to know about the ex-couple's lack of self control.

Shooting up from his chair, Eric smiled nervously at his fiancé. "Uh…Stop…drop and roll, that's what!" His shaky thumb swung back and forth between Jackie and Hyde as he tried to find his tongue. "Brooke and I … we're just…trying to explain the importance of fire safety to these two." His voice rose to his previous level of agitation. "Cause they obviously have no respect for it, Donna! And it's just _sickening!"_

"And wrong!" Brooke added angrily.

"Totally wrong!" Eric shook his head at the culpable pair. "You both disgust me."

Fire safety? Staring at her perspiring beret-wearing boyfriend, Donna's expression twisted into one of complete bewilderment until she noticed her friend and smiled. "Jackie. Hey," she gave her a hug, "Why didn't you call me back? I left, like, three messages on your machine."

"Oh, I was busy," Jackie nodded during her unreasonably long pause. "…giving blood."

Donna frowned curiously. "But you don't believe in giving."

Shrugging, Jackie just turned up her palms. "I know…Weird, huh?"

"Yeah, ok," the redhead responded with a frown before shrugging off her friends' strange behaviors as typical. When they start acting normal, then she'll worry, she decided. "Hey," Donna said, changing the subject. "Look who I found outside. Poor little guy was practically frozen."

She stepped to the side to reveal Fez, wet and shivering, with a sourpuss scowl on his pissed off face.

"Hey Fez," Hyde said, frowning at his friend's condition. "What's up, man?"

"What's up?" Fez stammered through his convulsions, more pissed off than before. "Let me tell you what is up. None of you bastards told me that Leo was hurt, I've been searching these buildings for an hour, and my balls are shriveled up to the size of raisins! That is 'what's up', you sons and daughters of several bitches!"

"Oh, man," Eric said. "We're really sorry, Fez."

Jackie reached out to him. "Oh, Fezzy. Are you alri…"

"No," Fez spat, whipping his head to the side as he yanked his arm away and stepped back. "I cannot be consoled."

Suddenly, amidst the silence, an oblivious Kelso walked in with a tray full of white Styrofoam cups. "Hey, Fez. You want some cocoa?"

The foreigner grinned happily, "Ooh, cocoa," and immediately took a cup before glancing around the room and quickly winking at Eric. "Hey, nice beret."

* * *

One Hour and Thirty-Seven Minutes Later – 8 p.m.

The group of seven friends sat spread throughout Leo's room and laughed as they told stories about the sleeping man. It was mostly Hyde, though. He had the most to tell, the funniest, too.

Most of the time, he sat relaxed in a chair beside Leo while, nearby, Eric and Donna sat on the window sill together holding hands. A few feet away from them, on a small chair, sat Kelso with Brooke on his lap, both too busy cuddling and sneaking kisses to notice what was going on around them. At the foot of Leo's bed was Fez, resting with his head laid on his folded arms. And finally, across from Hyde, was Jackie, who snuck herself a demure glance from across the bed and caught her lover's eye. It was becoming increasingly difficult to steal those looks when they wanted. Someone was always paying attention. But there were brief moments, like these, when they could make eye contact and maybe even share a small smile, if time allowed.

Interrupting the pair's flirtatious game, though, was Leo's nurse, who came in with a smile. "Okay, folks. It's eight o'clock. Visiting hours is over," she sang, chomping on her gum as she changed out Leo's I.V. "Have a good night."

Everyone got up with gripes and grumbles, gathering their things as they slowly shuffled their way out. Fez walked ahead with Kelso and Brooke while Eric, Donna, Jackie and Hyde fell behind, allowing Hyde to tug on Jackie's fingers as they walked.

"Hey," he leaned in close and whispered to her. "I'll be there in an hour." Without another word, he quickly moved past her and punched Eric in his shoulder.

"Ow, man. What the hell," Eric griped, rubbing the sore spot.

"Meet me at my store tomorrow, after your class," Hyde told him. "I'm gonna need your help."

With that, Jackie watched Hyde catch up to Fez and walk off with him in one direction as she stayed back with Eric and Donna to head in another. All the whispers and secrecy had her feeling like a criminal. Or, maybe a spy, she imagined, a hot, sexy spy. Yeah, that was better. That was classy. _That _was Jackie Burkhart…

* * *

Hyde's Apartment – 8:27 pm

Hyde had made it back to Point Place in record time and immediately rushed to pack a bag, giving himself enough clothing for two days. He wasn't planning on staying more than the night but it didn't hurt to play it safe, he figured, as he exited his bedroom carrying a small, blue duffel bag. Passing the bathroom, he ducked inside to grab his toothbrush, some toothpaste and his deodorant, shoving it all into his bag as he then headed for the kitchen.

Having had skipped dinner in exchange for sex, Hyde was now starving, practically salivating as he hurriedly made himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich – the only food in the whole place. Standing leaned against his counter, Hyde looked around while he quickly scarfed down his meal and noticed his answering machine blinking red.

"Crap." He had messages.

With an annoyed heave, Hyde leaned over and poked the large message button. A long beep ushered in two messages as he leaned back and waited. The first was from W.B.

"Hey, son. I just talked to the insurance man. Name's Fontane. He wants you to have that claim sheet filled out by Friday. He's being a real pompous ass about it so try to have it done, okay. Oh, and don't let that honky get ya down. Just remember you're richer than he is. Oh, wait. That's me." Hyde smiled and shook his head as his father cracked up at his own lame joke and hung up. A second beep followed along with the excited voice of his girlfriend.

"Hey, baby! Pick up. You there? Oh my God! Steven, I had the best day! You have no idea…Honey…Okay. Well just call me right when you get this! I love you!"

Perky kissing noises followed and Hyde's head fell. He knew this would happen. He had known what her voice would do to him. God, she sounded happy. Dropping his half-eaten sandwich, Hyde picked up the phone and dialed Minneapolis. Jackie would just have to wait…

* * *

Over One Hour Later

Jackie's Apartment - 9:43 pm

She had her prettiest nighty on, the lacy white one with the little pink, embroidered flowers at the hem. It was new, the only one she hadn't worn for Colin yet. That detail saddened her, though, as she scooted back against the arm of her couch and swept her fingernails over the lacy pattern. He would have loved it. He was simple like that, not interested in slutty-looking outfits but, rather, pretty ones. Ones that contrasted her dark hair, showed off her legs and just made her look beautiful.

Taking in a deep, shuddering breath, Jackie pulled her knees to her chest and looked at the clock that sat on her end table. He was probably just late. It was raining again. Maybe there was an accident blocking traffic and slowing him down. Maybe he had stopped to buy her something. Whatever it was, he would find his way back. He would come.

Staring into the flame of her only lavender-scented candle, Jackie settled in and tried to imagine all the things that would keep him…

* * *

Hyde's Apartment – 10:02 pm

Hyde smiled. "Yeah, I remember. We almost got caught."

On the other end of the line, Jessica breathed in a way that told him she had smiled, too, and it made his heart actually ache with guilt. It was the worst feeling in the world. She was just so damn happy tonight. Her presentation had gone well and her father had praised her for once. _"Oh! Do you remember the ice cream hat?" _she giggled.

He smiled again and laid back onto his bed, tucking his arms beneath the cool cotton of his favorite pillow, the one that still smelled like her perfume. "It's kinda hard to forget the ice cream hat, baby."

"_I know. God, that was so fun."_ She was quiet as he settled in, only blowing soft breaths over the line, giving him the feeling that she was with him in his dark bedroom, beside him as usual.

"Jess?"

"_Yeah. I'm here."_

"But I miss you being _here_…"

* * *

Jackie's Apartment – 10:36 pm

Glancing again at her clock, Jackie realized that it had only been two minutes since the last time she looked. She was so worried about him that she had to fight though tears that constantly threatened to ruin her mascara and perfectly drawn eyeliner. God, maybe he was hurt. Maybe he was the one in an accident. It was so bad out there.

Jackie quickly sat up on her couch and grabbed the remote control, hastily flipping through stations until she found the news. Sitting back, she fidgeted with the little pink flowers that sat at her thighs and watched for Hyde, praying that she wouldn't find him…

* * *

Hyde's Apartment – 10:57 pm

"I will," Hyde whispered into the phone and shut his eyes. "I know you do…I don't know…Jess, I don't know, okay." Suddenly, out of nowhere, he laughed. "No, you won't… No, you won't …Yeah…Uh huh…Yeah, I know…Okay…Kiss…Bye."

When Hyde heard the disconnecting click, he groaned and sat up. How the hell could he fuck around on that, he wondered as he placed the receiver back down. Swinging his legs around, he sat at the edge of his bed and smoothed his hands over his growing beard, taking a glance at his clock.

It was almost eleven, two hours after he told Jackie he'd be there. But there was no way he was going now. His remorse was making his entire body hurt. Jessica had been so God damn trusting, never once questioning his trip to Chicago. Most likely, she was just too damn happy to hear from him to even remember to ask. And Jackie, she was probably asleep anyway. It didn't even matter, though, if she was. He wasn't going. Hyde thought about calling but decided against it. It wasn't as if she were his girlfriend. He didn't owe her a fucking explanation. He didn't owe her a thing. She had known he was taken from the beginning. She…Hyde stood up and sighed…was waiting for nothing…

* * *

Jackie's Apartment – 11:51 pm

A worn record spins 'Don't Fall in Love With a Dreamer'

by Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes on an older looking turntable

_Just look at you sitting there  
You never looked better than tonight  
And it'd be so easy to tell ya I'd stay  
Like I've done so many times _

Staring at her reflection in her bedroom mirror, Jackie ran her fingertips slowly down her nightgown, tracing every delicate floral line before looking into her own weeping eyes. Her make-up was a mess, her mascara reduced to streaks of black liquid that discolored her normally flawless cheeks. She was pathetic. Sloppily, she rubbed it all away and whipped off her gown, tossing it to the floor and kicking the damned thing away. "Asshole!"

_I was so sure  
This would be the night  
You'd close the door  
And wanna stay with me _

After she threw on a flannel nightgown and pulled her hair into a ponytail, Jackie gave her reflection one last disappointed glance and moved to walk away. Her legs had different plans, though, wobbling beneath her until she just sat down on her bedroom floor.

_And it'd be so easy  
To tell you I'd stay  
Like I'd done so many times _

As Jackie looked around her tainted bedroom, the tears became silent sobs, coming faster and harder as she tucked her legs to her chest to hug herself. His phone had been busy all night and she knew exactly what must have happened. It didn't make her feel any less used, though. It didn't make her feel any less foolish for believing that he had changed, and not just for the strawberry blonde that seemed to have him wrapped tightly around her finger, but for himself and for the people around him. But what felt worse was that she had actually believed he would never again have the power to reduce her to her bedroom floor in tears. That was probably what hurt the most.

_Don't fall in love with a dreamer  
'Cause he'll always take you in  
Just when you think you've really changed him  
He'll leave you again… _

_September 18, 1979… _

_Her heart had twisted into a knot the moment she saw the pretty blonde. _

_She had called him 'baby'. _

"_Who the hell is that?" she remembered asking. _

"_This is Sam," he said. "She's a str…exotic dancer I met in Vegas. I'm sorry, what are you doing here?"_

_The blond was smiling at him, as if they knew each other so damn well. As if he were hers…probably because he was. "Don't you remember? We got married?" _

_Thinking back, Jackie was pretty sure she had said something before running off, but she couldn't remember what. She just ran to get away. As fast as she could. She didn't want to hear another word. She didn't want to know. _

_Her feet carried her all the way home. The pain in her lungs from running seven blocks didn't even affect her. She just walked straight into her house and immediately went to her pink bedroom to do God knows what. _

_For some unknown reason, though, she had started to clean her room, throwing away some things and moving others around without thought. Her chest was shaking so much that the muscles in her back and chest were on fire, but she wouldn't cry. Hell no. She fought through it for several minutes, shivering and swallowing down the tears that wanted to come. A few got away from her but she wiped them away neatly and just continued to clean her room. _

_The childlike hope that still lived inside her back then was waiting for him to come, to call, to explain, to see if she was okay, to say goodbye…to say something…anything. He loves me, she told herself repeatedly. He wants me. He'll come for me. But no one came. No one was coming. And what she didn't know back then was that no one ever would be. Eventually, though, her body collapsed to the floor as her breath stopped, choking her until the tears came spilling out, a sharp, gasping sob finally breaking through as it hit her. He was someone else's baby… _

_Don't fall in love with a dreamer  
'Cause he'll break you every time  
Oh, put out the light and just hold on  
Before we say goodbye… _

Jackie opened her eyes and looked around, happy to discover that she was finished feeling sorry for herself. Compared to _that_ night, this was nothing. Why was she even upset, she asked herself. Why did she even care? So he didn't come. So what. Fuck him. It was his loss. Not hers.

Straightening her legs, the brunette furrowed her brow line and ordered herself to stop crying. She had a good life, now. She had friends now who actually cared, who would come running, seven blocks or more, to see if she was alright. She had a man who hated the hell out of skanky-looking women. He would have sneered at Sam and laughed at the idea of choosing such trash over his beautiful girl. Jackie smiled. The day she had told him about Sam, he had sneered in disgust and quickly told her that Hyde was a fool and a fuckhead. He had shaken his head and smiled and kissed her. It was his gain. And hers.

With a poignant smile, Jackie rose from the floor and ambled into the living room. She wasn't going to pretend that she wasn't sad, that she didn't feel discarded again, but she wasn't going to let it ruin her, like she had done before.

Stepping into her kitchen, the comfortably-dressed brunette opened her fridge and pulled out a block of cheese. Within minutes, she had slices cut up with some crackers on a plate and a tall glass of milk on the counter, ready for consumption for when Johnny Carson made her laugh and forget. But as she went to go pick up her plate…the phone rang…

* * *

Hyde's Apartment – One Minute Earlier

Hyde sat on his couch with his head in his hands, fighting through his memories of the last twenty-four hours. He actually missed her. He actually wondered what the hell she was doing all alone in her apartment. He wanted to be there so fucking bad.

But he couldn't be. There was an obligation to Jessica that he felt holding him still. Somewhere deep inside, he thought that she might be the one he would marry someday. She was exactly what he wanted. She would never leave him. She would always love him. No matter what. She told him that. And he believed her.

Glancing at the phone, Hyde scooted over. Tired of feeling guilty, he decided to just be a fucking man and call Jackie. Maybe she would understand. She had to. There was no other choice…

* * *

Jackie's Apartment

"Hello?"

"_Hey."_

Jackie squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of his voice. "Colin," she breathed out. Her nose was stinging for him, the pain spreading through her face as she heard him draw in a deep breath for her. "Baby. God…"

"_I'm sorry,"_ he said quietly. _"I'm really sorry, Jackie."_ She was quiet, trying her best to calm the strangled sensation in her throat. The last thing she wanted was for him to hear that she was crying. _"Jackie…Look. I know I should've called earlier. But… I don't know; I was really pissed." _

Jackie frowned. "Wait," she uttered. "Drunk pissed or pissed pissed?"

"_Both."_

"Oh."

There was another heavy inhale from him. He was struggling, trying to find the words, and part of her wanted so badly to scream into the phone that she was sorry, that she had betrayed him. But she wouldn't. It would make him disappear forever. _"I didn't want to be a dick to you…baby…I would've been if I had called…I hate fighting with you."_

"Me, too."

"_Then why do we keep doing it?"_

"I don't know."

"_I'm sorry, okay,"_ the twenty-six year old averred sincerely. _"I really am."_

Jackie shook her head, guilt ripping her senses apart as he head began to pound. "Please just…just stop saying you're sorry, Colin. Please."

"_What? Why? You're always yelling at me because I never apologize."_

"I know but I'm not gonna do that anymore," the brunette swore as she dragged her twenty foot phone cord across her living room and sat on the couch. "God, baby, I will never, ever, be mad at you, ever again. I just want you to come home. You can quit. I don't care anymore."

"_You're serious?"_

"I'm dead serious."

"_You don't care if I quit."_

Pulling her hair out from its ponytail, Jackie lay back and sunk in; yanking some more cord along with her. "No, baby. I want you to." It was funny how the sound of one person's voice could change things, could just turn your whole day around. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on the rhythm of his respirations and the distinctive pronunciation of his words.

"_Alright. I'll quit then. But I can't just leave these guys, Jackie. I have to finish this one out."_

"I know, baby," she said softly. "Just…don't ever leave me again, okay? Promise me." The words came out sadder than she had meant for them to and the inflection in her voice rose with the incrimination of her frame of mind. "I can't do this anymore, Colin."

"_Jackie, what's the matter?"_

"Nothing," she quickly said, suddenly wishing she could hold the man on the other line, let his body make her forget about the kisses that had her heart aching for another only hours before. "I'm scared that I'm gonna lose you, baby."

"_Jackie, I love you,"_ she heard him mutter. _"I know I don't say it a lot, but I do."_

"But do you miss me?"

He laughed and it made her smile. _"Baby, I miss you so God damn much." _

Upon hearing those words, so sincerely meant for only her, Jackie smiled through her tears. It felt exhilarating. He felt exhilarating. "So then…" she began, deciding to just talk to her boyfriend, ask him a million questions so she could just listen to him speak. His accent still made her swoon. "Spill it. How many pretty, expensive things have you bought me so far…"

* * *

Hyde's Apartment – Twenty Minutes Later

"Damn it!" Hyde slammed down the phone. Her line was still busy and he was growing more and more frustrated by the minute. Why didn't he just call earlier? And who the hell was she talking to? "Fuck!" he shouted as he got off the couch and interlaced his fingers over his head, quickly making the decision to stop worrying about it and just give up. Angrily making his way back to his bedroom, Hyde pulled off his shirt and collapsed onto his bed, still wearing the jeans he had on in Chicago. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and craved sleep like never before.

It had been a long day with her. It had been an even longer night without her. Fuck, he actually missed her. It was driving him nuts. Shutting his eyes to think, he realized that what he craved more than sleep was a warm body to lie beside, smooth skin to touch and soft lips to kiss. The sick part about it, though, was that he couldn't decide whose.

"God, this fuckin' sucks," he grumbled and rolled to his side as he threw the perfume-scented pillow across the room and shoved his own over his ears. And as he lay there, alone in the dark, he just prayed for sound sleep, for one dreamless, guilt-free night…for a chance to go back…

* * *

**The Next Day **

**Thursday, November 8, 1984 – 10:47 am**

Grooves Record Store

It had been his sanctuary. It had been the onlything from his youth that he had not completely screwed up, that had been made better because of him. It was his baby. Now it was in shambles, like every other thing in his life.

Stepping through dirty water, over soggy record covers and the shredded remnants of a Van Halen poster, Hyde felt like he might actually cry. "I can't believe this crap," he grumbled as freezing water slowly seeped though to his socks. "God, damn it."

"Hey, look," he heard behind him and turned around to find his best friend holding a soggy 'Pat Benatar' record. "Pat Benatar's all wet," Eric said smirking, nodding and obviously trying to make his friend smile, too.

It worked.

"Nice," Hyde responded with a silent, but giddy, chuckle.

Eric made the same journey Hyde had, his feet getting soaked, too, until they both found a dry island inside the listening pit. "Man, look at this place," Eric observed out loud. "Hey, where was Leo?" Hyde's thumb answered, pointing in the direction of the pile of dry wall and wood that was once his office. "Man, that sucks," Eric sneered as he took in the rest of the store. Nothing was in place. Everything was wet. Some things were salvageable, though, like the plastic-covered cassette tapes that had been placed high up. Eric pointed to all the cases. "So how did all that stuff not get stolen?"

Hyde picked up a soaking wet copy of 'Zeppelin IV' and about cried. "Huh?" he looked at Eric, "Oh. WB hired some security company to watch it at night." He shrugged. "The flood insurance will pay for it so…"

Eric shook his head. "So you actually have to clean this all up?"

"No," Hyde scoffed. "I'm just taking inventory of the damage. Like for instance…" Hyde pointed to an empty spot in the corner. "Oh, look. The storm washed away my incredibly expensive guitar collection."

Eric frowned in confusion. "But you didn't have a guitar collection."

Hyde grinned. "Exactly."

"You do realize that's insurance fraud, right Hyde?"

"You do realize that I don't give a crap, right Mr. Rogers?"

"Uh, it's Mr. Forman," Eric corrected him. "And yes, I was aware of that." As Hyde began to jot things down on his claim sheet, clipped to a clipboard, Eric walked around, trying to find what he could save from the building waters. "So did you, uh, go see Jackie last night?" he said, disguising the potentially volatile words as small talk.

"No," Hyde said quietly.

"Good, cause, you know, it's probably for the best. She's with someone else. You know."

"Yeah, I know. It's just," Hyde stopped. It was the last thing he wanted to talk about, especially with Eric. "Never mind." At that, Hyde took a step, accidentally kicking a 'Blondie' record into the water. Instead of getting pissed off, he just smirked and picked it up. "Hey, look. I got Debbie Harry all wet."

"Hyde," Eric said, not letting him off the hook.

Rolling his eyes, Hyde dropped the record. "Whatever. I just…Man, I really wanted to go over there." Making his way through the store, trying to reach his cash register, Hyde continued. "I don't know what hell's gotten into me lately, Forman. It's fucking Jackie, you know. I should know better."

Eric puckered his eyebrows as he neared his friend. "So what are you saying, man? You think might still have feelings for Jackie?"

Apathetically, Hyde shrugged. "I don't know."

"So what…You're just…_done_ with Jessica? Cause Donna's gonna be…"

"No. Fuck, no. I'm not done with Jessica. I just…you know, me and Jackie, we…"

Ever-so-slightly, Eric nodded, thinking that maybe he understood. "You've got a history."

His eyes still half-heartedly locked on his list, Hyde shrugged again and continued his tour of the store. "I guess." As he walked away, Eric shook his head. It was obvious he didn't want to admit to anything. It was his way and Eric accepted that. What a mess, though, he decided. No wonder his friend of nearly twenty years seemed so distant lately, even more than usual. So, he was glad to witness when Hyde turned around with a familiar grin, a 'Heart' record in hand. "Hey, check it out. I got two chicks wet at the same time."

Eric laughed and reached over, grabbing a soggy 'Bananarama' one. "I got three."

Hyde nodded, "Awesome," and Eric thought that maybe his friend would be okay. He still had his thirteen-year-old boy sense of humor. And that was all that really mattered…

Another half an hour or so went by as Hyde recorded the damage and estimated their value while Eric did what he could to gather the irreplaceable items, like signed posters and records and circle paraphernalia.

"Hey, can you go put this in my car for me?" Eric heard as Hyde slapped a big box of cassette tapes in his arms. "Thanks."

Eric glanced at it. All of Hyde's favorite music was represented. "Man, Hyde. You're stealing from yourself?"

Hyde shrugged. "I'll be reimbursed…"

* * *

That Evening

Jackie's Apartment – 5:21 pm

Jackie was beat as she slowly pushed up each step of her building. She had just spent five hours interviewing greasy-mouthed fat guys at the 9th Annual Hot Dog Fest in Baraboo, Wisconsin. It wasn't exactly what she had imagined when she stood in front of her mirror as a child with a hairbrush-turned-microphone pressed to her lips, but it paid the bills.

Just seven more steps, Jackie thought to herself, until a hot cup of cocoa, two Tylenol, bare feet, and a steaming hot bath. That was all that mattered to her at that moment.

But she could swear that the headache that continually thrashed at her skull was making her hear things as she reached the top. The sounds of the first synthesized cords of Madonna's 'Borderline' were wafting from behind her closed apartment door.

"What the hell," Jackie muttered as she quickly opened her door and mouth to the vision of Kevin, Brooke, Betsy and little Bradley, all dressed in her favorite Madonna gear, bouncing around her living room like they were in a nightclub. "What are you guys doing?"

They all looked over, except Bradley, who just kept hopping; his chubby little arms dressed in pink lace and black jelly bracelets. The rest only smiled and waved as they continued to dance.

"Hey!" Kevin called out before spinning around, his own arms draped in bandanas and more of her colored jelly bracelets.

_Something in the way you love me  
Won't let me be  
I don't want to be a prisoner  
So, baby, won't you set me free? _

With a shrug, Jackie dropped her things to the floor and plopped herself down on the couch to watch the rather entertaining show. As the tape continued to play, Betsy danced her way over to Jackie and jumped on her lap, giving her a great, big—much needed—God-daughter/God-mother hug before rejoining her mother on the dance floor.

"Thanks, Bets," Jackie cooed, taking off her heels

_Stop playing with my heart  
Finish what you start  
When you make my love come down _

Sweaty and out breath, but smiling, Brooke sat down beside her. "Hey!" she said, trying to catch her breath. "How was your day?"

"The same," was all Jackie could say about it.

_If you want me let me know  
Baby, let it show  
Honey, don't you fool around _

Brooke nodded. "Can I ask you something?" At that, Jackie gestured for her to go ahead. "Why'd you trust Kevin with the whole Hyde thing and not me? Did you think I'd be mad at you or something?"

Shaking her head, the smaller girl scooted closer to who she honestly saw as her best friend, even more so than Donna these days. "God, no, Brooke. I just…I didn't want you to think I was weak and stupid. I mean, you know about…before, you know. Kevin didn't see what you saw."

_Just try to understand  
I've given all I can  
'Cause you got the best of me _

Slightly disappointed, Brooke tilted her lace-draped, ponytailed head. "I don't think you're weak. Stupid, maybe, but never weak," she added with a smile, finally finding those magic words that turned Jackie's tired scowl into a smile. Brooke arched an eyebrow. "So…did he come over here last night?"

Jackie shook her head. "If I tell you something, you promise not to yell at me?"

"No. But you better tell me, anyway."

_Borderline  
Feels like I'm going to lose my mind  
You just keep on pushing my love  
Over the borderline _

"I gave him a key," the smaller brunette confessed, dropping her eyes to her lap in shame. "He was supposed to come back…But…he stood me up. He didn't come. So," Jackie shrugged, "I guess that's that…It's done."

"What?!" Kevin blurted and came over. "He ditched you? Again?" The usually cheerful gay man was getting pissed now and Jackie put her hands up, knowing that was never a good thing.

"Kevin, it's fine."

_Something in your eyes  
Is making such a fool of me  
When you hold me in your arms  
You love me 'til I just can't see _

"No, it's _not_ fine," he spat. "Did he call? After you slept with him like that and risked your relationship with Colin, who is perfect, by the way. Did he freakin' call?!"

"No," Jackie answered sadly. "He didn't."

_But then you let me down  
When I look around  
Baby you just can't be found_

Kevin sat down on the other couch. "That's it then. I'm just gonna have to kill him." He raised his eyebrows and threw up his hands. "I'm gonna have to take him by the balls, wrap fishing wire around the little fuckers and then twist until they turn black and fall the fuck off!" Folding his arms, he sat back in a huff. "Fucker."

_Stop driving me away  
I just wanna stay  
There's something I just got to say… _

With a pained face, Brooke turned back to Jackie. "Jackie, just," Stopping, she looked around at her kids as they danced, not at all paying attention. The music practically had them in a trance as they held each other and jumped. Then she looked at the clock. "Okay, we've got seven minutes until Donna gets here to go wedding shoe shopping. So just start from the beginning. But be quick. What the hell happened?"

"Okay," Jackie replied warily. She was almost too embarrassed to admit to how quickly Steven Hyde had gotten her into bed, even though he hadn't really been trying. "But just let me finish before you say anything. Don't interrupt me with your bitchy comments," Jackie shot threatening eyes over to the other couch, "Kevin!"

"What?!" He rolled his eyes. "Fine!_"_

"Okay, well," Jackie glanced at her co-worker. "I went with him to go see Leo, remember, on Monday, and when we were at the hospital, Steven was really upset and…" Jackie took a deep breath. "I kissed him…"

* * *

**The Next Night **

**Friday, November 9, 1984 – 7:54 pm**

Keno Family Drive-In. Kenosha, WI

"How do you figure I owe you $500 bucks, man?" Kelso asked as Hyde backed his van into the spot next to Eric's car.

"Cause," Hyde spat, shooting a dirty look over at the tall birthday boy, "It's your fault I had no spare tire when I got that flat. I had to spend 120 bucks on a motel room, I had to buy beer, I had to buy a new tire…"

"Well, it's not my fault you got a flat," Kelso sneered while his friend threw the gear in park and turned to him.

"No, but it's your fault I had to take a hit from a big black dude named Elbert. And that's worth at least 300 bucks for pain and suffering." Not to mention, Hyde thought, the new predicament it got him into with Jackie, something he couldn't say to Kelso. Yeah, that idiot owed him big. "Oh, and plus," Hyde frogged him. "You didn't even invite me to the movies!"

"Brooke told me not to, man! I don't know why! She threatened to take away the goodies. What could I do?"

"Be a man!" Hyde shouted.

"I try but she just yells at me."

Hyde shook his head. "Pussy."

"Whatever, man." Kelso glowered at his angry friend. "I can't wait 'til Jessica finally puts her foot down. It's gonna be one sorry ass day in Hyde-land," he snickered as they both got out and met up with Eric and Fez. "So where are the chicks?" Kelso asked Eric.

"Shopping. They'll be here."

Eric looked at Hyde. "Hey. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see Freddy Krueger, you tool! Why did no one invite me?"

Eric yanked him to the side and lowered his voice. "Brooke thought it would be better if you didn't come. She's the one callin' all the shots here; there was nothing I could do."

"You could be a freakin' man, Forman, and tell her I'm his friend, too!"

The skinny man blew out a big breath. Hyde had a point. "Come on, Hyde. Why do you even wanna be here anyway? Jackie's gonna be here. Unless…Unless you _want_ to see Jackie," he teased as he placed his hand to his heart. "Because you still love her."

Hyde glared at him, willing himself not to kill one friend on another's birthday. "Man, shut the hell up. I just don't appreciate being blown off by my _supposed_ friends," he snapped, his irritation showing. "And I've known Kelso way longer than she has. So, I figure, I have more right to be here than she does."

Eric chuckled. "Yeah, I agree. But what can you do? I mean, she can't be that pissed, right?"

Behind him, Hyde watched Jackie pull up in her car with Brooke, Donna and Fez's girlfriend Amy. All the girls were dressed to kill while two in particular, Brooke and Jackie, were wearing a glare to match, especially once they caught sight of Hyde.

"Oh, crap," he grumbled.

Getting ready to take off, Eric patted his friend on the back and sighed as the two girls got out of the car and stalked toward him. "Yeah, good luck with that…"

To Be Cont...

* * *

**A/N2: **Okay, it was long, but I got through two days so it was worth it, to me. So, those of you still here, who aren't ready to pull my fanfic author license, please review. And please don't leave me like the others have. I know this story can be frustrating but I don't think I could handle anymore abandonment. Just please be patient instead is all I ask. Oh, and there were some big references to a certain season 4 episode in this. Did anyone catch them? AND, finally, every time you saw the words 'cock' 'pull' 'yank' or 'hard,' that was my Ode to Mr. Daniel P. Masterson, who was gracious enough to tell me about his special member in exquisite detail. Mwah, you sexy bastard… 


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 – Colin's Girl**

**A/N: **Thank you for your reviews, everybody. They're just _so_ incredible. I hope you all really understand how much you are appreciated. Ok, so this chapter has music so, if you are one of my music listeners, remember to hit Youtube. I couldn't put the names of the songs in the text, so here they are in order…

_Bringing on the Heartbreak _by Def Leppard – _Jessie's Girl_ by Rick Springfield – _Simple Man_ by Lynyrd Skynyrd – _Someone Belonging to Someone_ by the Bee Gees (from 'Staying Alive' one of the best movies ever!)

This is for Tanith for sending me the Cowbell when I was blubbering like a moron. I had the fever, baby, and your cowbell was the cure. –lmao- Also, thank you to Casper for your technical expertise on the wonderful land known as Ire. Thanks, Stephen.

* * *

_Point Place, Wisconsin_

_Christmas Night, 1983_

_It seemed unfair to the rest of the world how beautiful one single, human being could be, especially while standing in the falling snow and dressed all in white—how one, single face could keep it all, everything you ever remembered being, past and present. If his memory served him, it had been Christmas, a Sunday night, and her hair had been down…and long…longer than he ever remembered seeing it…darker, too…splayed over her white winter coat and mussed from the wind as she glided over the ice and laughed. _

"_Colin!" _

_From across the small, frozen pond, Hyde watched her skate off the frost and into the arms of her boyfriend, who caught her and held her still, kissing the tip of her red nose before closing his eyes to take her lips. Instinctively, Hyde looked away; feeling uncomfortable in his voyeurism, but, damn, it was all they ever seemed to do. His eyes returned, though, just in time to see Colin push her back out onto the ice where she shut her eyes and held her arms out to the breeze. _

"_Donna! Watch, I can spin!" _

_Captivated by her every movement, Hyde watched as she began to study her feet, moving them in an attempt to turn herself in circles. She looked so damn happy, happier than he could ever remember seeing her, and so grown up, even as she clutched onto her friend to catch her fall and pulled her down to the ground, snorting out in laughter as the two lay hugging on the ice. _

"_Donna! You were supposed to catch me!"_

_With a stifled smile, Hyde eyed the pair as they giggled and rolled from side to side, trying to get up in their heavy coats, the difficulty escalating their laughter further while their giggles echoed high into the dark stratosphere of night._

"_Colin! Help me!"_

_Still lying on her back, Jackie laughed and raised her arms into the air while Donna got to her feet and began to skate teasingly around her friend. _

"_Colin!"_

_Colin appeared a little irritated at first, Hyde noticed as he watched him step out onto the ice, wearing winter boots and a small frown as he walked out to the center of the pond, his arms jutting out to steady him. And with a smile Hyde hadn't seen in years, Jackie reached out to him._

"_Lay down with me, baby." _

_Hyde watched Colin smile at the sight of his girlfriend laid spread out over the ice. He couldn't blame the guy, though. He, himself, was wearing a slight one, too. But it fell at one thought. He couldn't help but wonder what he would have done years before if it had been him in that situation, with her reaching out, calling** him** baby. But he knew. More than likely, he would have refused her request in some macho, bullshit attempt to appear unaffected by her and then regretted the hell out of it later._

_For a moment, Eric's voice drew his attention away. He was waving and calling Donna over to him as Kitty stood by with a steaming mug, leaving only two on the ice. Colin and Jackie were alone now, but neither seemed to notice as she giggled and reached up to pull him down with her. And he went, too, easily, and rolled onto his back as they both raised their eyes to the sky, making Hyde do the same. _

_Above him, the night sky was dark, darker than he could ever remember it being, probably because the stars were so bright against the blackness, causing them to stand out as they dimmed everything around them. But one in particular seemed to shine brighter than the rest. _

"_Colin!" he heard her laugh and closed his eyes. _

_Yeah. It had been a cold Christmas night and she had been dressed all in white, looking more beautiful than any one, single human being should ever look…_

_Gypsy, sittin' lookin' pretty  
The broken rose with laughin' eyes…_

**Point Place, Wisconsin**

**Friday, November 9, 1984 – 2:54 pm**

Opening his eyes, Hyde let his head fall lazily to the right to catch a glimpse of Def Leppard on MTV: his newest vice. With Jess gone, his store destroyed, his mind teeming with brunette thoughts, music videos were all his sanity could take anymore. He had barely moved in the last twenty-four hours, lying instead like a lump on his couch, eating pizza and drinking beer while fingering a smooth silver key and intermittently dialing one phone number over and over.

_You're a mystery, always runnin' wild  
Like a child without a home  
You're always searching, searching for a feeling  
Then it's easy come and easy go_

His throat was thick with a permanent lump that served as a steady reminder that he was a complete prick. Why hadn't he just called her right away? Why had he betrayed Jess? Why had he not gone to see Jackie? With a deep huff to remind himself that he really was alive, Hyde sat up and rubbed his hands down his eyes and face. He missed her. That surprised him. He honestly hadn't expected to. But what could he do, she was infectious; bratty, annoying, irritatingly ostentatious, a little whiny and demanding as all hell but still, infectious and driving him crazy from thirty miles away.

_Oh I'm sorry but it's true  
You're bringin' on the heartbreak  
Takin' all the best of me…_

There were times, though, when he was deep in his MTV stupor, nodding his head and actually tapping his foot to a fucking Wham song or something equally horrid, that his mind would wander into the place where Jackie waited for him, leading him to briefly explore the possibility of letting go of Jess. And then he would come to his senses, throw his empty beer can at George Michael's stupid, happy fucking head and shake her image away. Even if he wanted her back, it wouldn't matter. She had already stated her intentions. She wanted Colin.

_You're such a secret, misty eyed and shady  
Lady how you hold the key  
Oh you're like a candle, your flame slowly fadin'  
Burnin' out and burnin' me…_

Close to him, Hyde kept Jessica's picture, for moments such as these, when he was questioning his relationship with her. She was his beacon home, leading him back to normalcy. But something, some force stronger than himself, kept pulling his mind back to Jackie's bedroom…

_Two days before_

_Wednesday the 7th – 4:12 pm_

_Beneath him, Jackie had closed her eyes as if she were experiencing heaven, smiling and sighing contentedly while his cool breath tickled her face. He was tracing patterns, starting from her forehead, moving down the slope of her button nose, and passing over her plump lips until he reached her chin. He really liked the way she looked when she was happy like this, when she was genuinely lost in the moment._

"_T," she had guessed with a smile. _

_Hyde smiled, too. "Right."_

"_Ok. Now me," she said, opening her eyes. "Close your eyes."_

_He did, letting himself enjoy the breeze that she began to create on his skin and the way her hands slid up into his hair, causing intense waves of pleasure to wash over his body. At that random moment, he had felt so relaxed, so still, that he almost forgot that he wasn't supposed to be there, lying with her, so gladly. _

"_C," he guessed. _

"_No," Jackie giggled and quickly made the pattern again. _

"_Oh, G."_

"_Right," she whispered, returning the wind to his face in circles. "It feels good, huh?"_

"_Uh, huh," he whispered back, never opening his eyes. God, did it. He was hot, sweating from the exertion of sex, and she was cooling him down, same as he had done for her. It was a silly lover's game they had played years before. More importantly, though, it was the kind of thing that he had missed about her, her sweet pillow games…_

With a frustrated sigh, Hyde peeled himself away from his couch and made his way into the kitchen, thinking and grumbling along the way. Did she do that with Colin, too? Or shit, maybe she did that with everybody she was with. It would be stupid of him to believe that she didn't, that it was only him.

Opening his fridge, Hyde pulled out another two cans of beer and slammed the door shut just as there was a knock at the door, perking him up. "Oh crap," he blurted out and ran toward the door. Maybe it was her; he'd been calling all day. After tripping over a pile of shit on the floor and cursing and saying 'fuck it' to the fact that he was only in his boxer shorts, he swung it open and automatically deflated at the sight of Kelso's stupid face.

"Man, Kelso. What do you want?" he said, turning back around to head for the couch again.

"Well, it's nice to see you, too, _Hyde_," the taller man said, walking in and shutting the door. "I was just wondering if I could borrow your van tonight."

Hyde sneered as he popped open his Budweiser. "For what?"

"For uh…um…you know," Grimacing at the sight of his friend's pained expression, Hyde waited patiently. Kelso was obviously lying about something. "…uh…uh…van stuff." The glare from Hyde made Kelso's shoulders rise and then fall in defeat. "Fine! Okay! It's my birthday and Brooke invited everyone to go see 'Nightmare on Elm Street' with us at the drive-in." Kelso smiled happily. "It's supposed to be_ really_ scary…Oh, but you can't come…"

* * *

That Night at the Drive-In

Kenosha, Wisconsin

8:02 pm

Maybe it was the dim stadium lights surrounding him, or the fact that the entire gang was together at the drive-in—something that hadn't happened in years—but Hyde felt like he was back in school as Jackie flounced angrily toward to him. She looked beautiful, but more than that, she looked pissed. In fact, she looked as though she were going to haul off and smack him. So when she got close and threw her arm out, he flinched.

"I'm not gonna hit you, you idiot," Jackie snapped angrily with her hand held out at him, palm up. "I want my key back."

Glancing to his right, Hyde noticed that Eric appeared more nervous than him. His eyes were growing wide while he gestured strangely toward Donna and walked away, presumably to distract her. As Hyde turned back to Jackie, he caught a quick look at Brooke's expression, too. She looked wary, as well, probably realizing that Kelso wasn't too far away either. But Jackie's expression was what had him locked. She wasn't just pissed at him. No. She was pissed _and hurt. _

"I don't have it on me," he finally answered.

"You know what," Brooke interjected quietly to Jackie. "I'm just gonna go distract Michael. You two talk."

Locked on his eyes, Jackie continued to stare at Hyde. "There's nothing to talk about." With a sigh, the taller brunette glanced at Hyde, relaying her message before she walked away. She was disappointed in him and he could feel it. It was all over the place, in the air, in Jackie's eyes. He had a lot to be sorry for. A lot more than phone calls and silver keys.

Taking a chance, Hyde stepped toward her. "Jackie, I'm sorry. I wanted to…"

She stepped back. "It doesn't matter, Steven. I don't care," she let out, obviously affected by his close proximity.

"Yes, you do," he challenged, stepping forward again.

Adamantly, Jackie shook her head. "No… I don't."

This was exactly the place that he didn't want to go with her, back to that place where they spoke like strangers, like they hated each other, when both knew to God they really didn't.

The breeze picked up and blew her hair to the side as she looked down at her hands. "You know what?" Jackie said softly while she played with her fingers. "Just throw it away then." Dropping her hands to her sides, she abruptly turned to walk away.

But immediately, Hyde grabbed her arm to stop her. "Hey! Come here," he insisted pulling her to the side of his van where no one was within sight. "I wanted to come back." Leaning into her, he gripped her face into his hands. "I swear to God."

Jackie's eyes burned into his. "Then why didn't you?"

Hyde shut his, though. He had been waiting for that question. "Jess called," he said regretfully and freed her from his grasp. "I got stuck on the phone."

Her expression unchanging, Jackie nodded. "And you couldn't call me after to let me know because…"

"No… I did call," he argued, taking a defensive stance. "A lotta times. Your phone was busy."

Frowning, Jackie took similar posture. "Yeah, at, like, midnight, Steven! What about yesterday or today…" He started to answer but she held her hand up. "You know what, forget it. It doesn't even matter. It was better that you didn't come."

Suddenly, he felt a sharp burst of jealousy hit him. "So…Who were you talking to?"

"What do you care?" she responded angrily, making him roll his eyes away in frustration. He knew what she wanted. She wanted confirmation of his jealousy.

"I guess I don't," he replied instead.

At that, Jackie folded her arms. "Fine. You wanna know who I was talking to, Steven? I was talking to the only man in the world who has never hurt me or…shoved another woman in my face," the pensive brunette squeezed her eyes shut and put her hand to her heart, "and who knows how to make me feel like I'm the only one who matters in the whole world."

When Jackie opened her eyes, she would swear he was looking straight through to her thoughts. She was waiting for his cruel remark, though, for the hurtful jab to rebuke his pain or humiliation. But his mouth only opened to draw in a deep breath as he dropped his gaze down by a foot and swallowed. A moment later, she watched his hands rise up in their usual manner of surrender. He looked to the side, probably irritated with her, she figured, and returned his gaze with a sigh. God, it was frustrating waiting for him or trying to figure him out.

"I'm sorry," was all he said, so quietly.

Nodding, Jackie backed away. "Yeah…You always are, aren't you," she reminded him and walked off, leaving him standing alone by his car, feeling strangely depressed. He wasn't the brightest man in the world when it came to relationships but he knew enough to know that he was falling for her again. A chill fizzled through his chest and turned his body cold as he grappled with his new situation. He needed to get her to talk to him again. Tonight.

Startling him, a hand landed on his shoulder and, when he turned to look, Eric's sympathetic face was staring back at him. "Come on, man. Help me get the van set up."

Nodding, Hyde released the poisoned breath that Jackie had left him with and watched his friend walk away. "Yeah, okay…"

* * *

Ten Minutes Later…

Hyde was resting in the back of his van when Eric threw the largest, heaviest damn pillow anyone had ever seen at him, knocking him over.

"God damn, Forman! What the hell is this?"

Donna tossed a similar one to Eric, nearly making him fall to the concrete. "My mom made 'em for me and Donna. They're body pillows."

As planned, Hyde shoved the enormous pillow in front of the empty space between the two seats, making a veritable couch to lean back against. "What'd she stuff it with? Jimmy Hoffa?" he asked, struggling to place it just right.

"Beans, I think," Eric answered him while Kelso grabbed the second pillow and threw it at Hyde with a grunt, making him tumble over once again.

"Damn it, Kelso," Hyde grumbled from beneath the fifty pound pillow.

"Man, this is the coolest set-up ever!" Kelso commented as his eyes scanned approvingly over the scene. "It'll be like a harem in here with all the chicks." He climbed inside with Hyde and leaned back against the make-shift couch. "Look, it's got carpet and everything and like fifty pillows. Oh! It's just like Jeannie's bottle."

Smiling, Hyde nodded. "I know. Throw a ponytail on Jess and that little outfit and I'm…" He stopped mid-sentence, his smile fading as Jackie walked up and gave him a look that might have destroyed a weaker man. "Uh, what time's the movie start," he asked Eric, changing the subject.

Glancing at the tensed brunette beside him, Eric stepped sideways to get out of the line of fire. "Uh," he stammered. "Uh, in, like, fifteen minutes."

Rolling her eyes at him, Jackie opened her mouth. "We're going to the snack shack. What do you morons want?"

"Lots of popcorn!" Kelso shouted happily. "We already have the beer!" He slapped the cooler in front of him and Hyde. "So just get everything else!"

"Oh, and candy," Fez said, smiling at Jackie. "You know what kind I like."

Jackie put her hands out in confusion. "But Fez, you like all kinds."

"I know," he smiled. "See. You know what I like."

"Here," Hyde said, getting up to make his way out of the van. "I'll help you carry it all back."

Jackie threw her hand up at him. "No! No! I don't need your help."

"Jackie. Are you crazy?" Donna said from behind her. "One of these lazy bums wants to help, I say let him."

Eric nodded. "Yeah, cause I'm not gonna help."

"Yeah, me neither," Fez admitted bashfully.

"Yeah, well it's my birthday," Kelso added. "I don't have to help."

Hyde grinned as he inched toward Jackie. "See," he said to her smugly and stepped out of the van to stand beside her. "You should be thanking me."

A stare down ensued with Jackie cutting Hyde to pieces with her most vicious glare while he only grinned back at her. "Let's go," she grumbled though gritted teeth and stepped around him, heading toward the snack shack with him, Brooke and Donna in tow.

A few minutes later, they were standing in the longest line in existence. In it, Jackie stood with Hyde behind her, who was constantly placing his hands on her waist as he would lean forward into her ear to make bullshit chit-chat and ask stupid questions for the sake of Donna's ignorant ears. Jackie knew what he was doing, though. And as much as it made her heart flutter and her spine tingle, she ignored him and elbowed him back every time.

Standing there, waiting, Jackie noticed that the air smelled different tonight than it had only a week before. Back then, it had wafted with that traditional fall smell that she loved. That cold, crisp scent mixed with the warmth of turning leaves. But now, as Hyde leaned forward again, his chest heating her back and his nose nuzzling through her hair, she couldn't help but notice that the air smelled new, like it had back in school, back when she had loved him.

"I miss you," Jackie thought she heard come as a whisper in her ear and swore that she was imagining things. Her breath shuddered from the pure shock of it and she turned her head toward him.

"Wait. What?"

"C'mere," he said, pulling her from the crowd as Brooke and Donna were lost in their own world, discussing something that neither Jackie nor Hyde could have cared less about.

"Steven, they're gonna notice," she warned him but he didn't care. He was determined as he pulled her behind a nearby wooden fence and set her up against it.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he announced almost immediately. "You have no idea how bad I wanted to see you."

Suspiciously, Jackie tilted her head. "Why are you doing this, Steven? To mess with me?"

Hyde shook his head. "No. No. Because…" He stepped back and combed his fingers through his hair. He hadn't thought this through. "I…Can we just…go back?"

"To what, Steven? To screwing around behind people's backs?"

Hyde nodded. "Yeah…I mean…Look. Why can't you just forget about the other day? I _meant_ to come back, okay. It won't happen again."

As she watched him, desperate to make up with her, acting as if they were a couple having a minor spat, Jackie's heart began to expand. He was moving in closer to her now; his sweatshirt soon touched the front of her coat while her back grew cold against the fence. Her chest became heavy as he closed in further, her mouth unconsciously opened at the sight of his, and her eyes grew drowsy from want. All of it was sending her into a tailspin. Maybe he _was_ sorry. Maybe they could…Wait. Having a thought, Jackie narrowed her eyes. Wait. He…He just…

Her jaw dropped and she pushed him back. "Oh my God, you jerk."

Hyde looked shocked. "What?" he asked, his face worried with confusion. "What'd I do?"

Jackie stepped toward him and poked him in the chest. "That's all you want is sex, isn't it? I mean, you said so yourself. 'It was just sex, Jackie' That's what you said. Right?"

Hyde grimaced. What the hell was she talking about? And then it hit him. "What? No," he sneered. "I didn't mean…"

Jackie poked him again. "Well you can just forget it, Steven, cause I am _not_ gonna be your personal whore until Jessica gets back!"

"No, that's not what I freakin' meant, Jackie!"

"…You're just gonna have to break out your Vegas phone book and find your whore of an ex-wife for that. I hear she likes screwing desperate men while they're girlfriends are out of town."

Up until now, he had sat back and let her unleash her anger on him without protest. He had let her have her little tantrum. But, after five years of being berated over a one month relationship that he had started while drunk, Hyde had had enough. "Why do you gotta pull that shit out all the time?" he asked scornfully.

Haughtily, Jackie smiled. "Cause you made it _so_ easy, Steven. You set yourself up for it."

At that, Hyde shook his head. "You know what? Forget it. Be pissed. I don't give a fuck anymore." Turning away from her, he took a few steps and then stopped abruptly to think. What seemed like a lifetime of lessons, slowly being learned, prodded him and turned his body back around to look at her. She was waiting with her arms folded. "I didn't just want se…" Her eyebrows elevated in disdain and, he knew, she wasn't going to believe him. "Forget it."

She shrugged. "Forgotten," she said glaringly as walked past him. "We have to get back before they notice."

Irritated and frustrated beyond comprehension, Hyde stared at the spot where she had stood and cursed the day he met her, eventually following her back toward the line where Brooke and Donna still stood.

"Where were you guys?" Donna asked Jackie when they returned.

"Oh, Hyde thought he saw Boy George. So we went to get his autograph." Jackie smiled smugly back at him. "He just loves that little cross-dresser. Don't you, Hyde?"

With an annoyed smile, Hyde nodded. "I was all a flutter."

Jackie smiled at the confused redhead. "See."

Donna frowned at him. "Hyde, how…But why would you even…I don't..."

"Next!" the snack shack guy yelled out, saving Hyde as Jackie gave him a smart-ass smile and walked up to the counter with the other two girls.

He stood by as they ordered and received without complaint the piles of snacks that the girls unloaded on him. Four buckets of popcorn, a Diet Tab and a shitload of candy shoved into every pocket. Jackie had been their pack-leader, organizing and making him carry as much as she possibly could while he kept his eyes anywhere but on her. Parts of him were beginning to miss Jessica as Jackie ripped into him and burned him with every chance she got. Maybe he deserved it but it didn't make the ordeal any less irritating or lonely. The part of him that had rationalized not getting involved with Jackie again pounded with 'I told you so' over and over.

What it came down to was that Jessica didn't hate him underneath it all. When they fought, she honestly had nothing to throw in his face. He hadn't, up until now, given her any ammunition for it. For the first time in his life, starting with her, he had tried to have a good relationship. He had really tried. And now, he just wanted to retreat back to it, to what he had worked hard for, to find comfort in the only place he was clean and guiltless. With Jess.

As the three girls took off ahead of him, Hyde followed, staying further back. They were being bitches to him, except Donna, and he was trying his damnedest to not burn the fuck out of them, especially Jackie. He could, too. So easily. But instead, he kept a slower pace than them to avoid temptation, casually passing by rows of cars filled with mostly couples making out.

Up ahead he could see Jackie turn back to see him as she approached the van. She looked sad to him, though, and it was looks like those that were driving him crazy. What the hell? Was she seriously pissed or just hurt and playing fucking games? He couldn't figure her out. But, he didn't know how much more he could give to a girl who was so taken, especially when he was so equally taken himself. And it wasn't as if Colin were some fling for her either, like he had once believed…

_July 4, 1983_

_It was a warm summer day and he had been laughing at Kelso—the moron was doing or saying something stupid—when he noticed a crowd gathering on the Forman driveway. _

"_What the hell's goin' on?" he asked Kelso, who only shrugged._

_Together, they had swaggered up to the see what all the commotion was about and the first sound he heard was Donna's voice…_

"_Say 'Donna'," the red head asked expectantly, her eyes giddy and round with anticipation, her mouth set with the dumbest smile Hyde had ever seen. _

"_Donna," an unfamiliar male voice rang out in accent._

_Donna squealed, along with Laurie and Brooke. "Oh my God, that is so cool!"_

"_Ooh, ooh, me next," Kitty exclaimed, pushing past Donna and smiling up flirtatiously at a dark-haired man about Hyde's age, her little feet fidgeting beneath her, her hands wringing with excitement. "Say Kitty, or Mrs. Forman, or Mrs. Kitty! Whatever! It doesn't matter!" Looking over, Hyde sneered at Kelso, who was also enthralled with the new guy, wearing the same stupid grin as Donna._

"_Who is this guy?" Hyde muttered, looking around, but everybody was too entranced by their new guest to even notice or hear him. The girls seemed to be swooning, the men—including Red—were listening and waiting just as intently, and at the center of it all was Jackie, her hand clutching the stranger's, a prideful smile causing her face to practically glow. The guy she was with appeared hesitant, at first, until he smiled down slightly, seeming to take a liking to the small lady who beamed so giddily up at him._

_His smile grew and he opened his mouth again. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Forman." _

_Kitty squealed and clapped her pleasure at the sound of her name verbalized in an Irish accent. _

"_Oh, that's just, just, so darn sexy!" she exclaimed. Hyde watched his adoptive mother hop a few times before turning his attention to Jackie, who now had her arm wrapped around the foreigner's waist, smiling as she briefly made a show of kissing him. _

_As the crowd dispersed, Hyde wandered around the general vicinity of the table, feigning nonchalance while he scoped out the new guy. Everyone was either seated or standing around him, listening intently to Jackie as she explained how they met and anxiously anticipating any solitary word from the man she called 'Colin'. _

_Red smiled. "So uh, you're Irish, huh? They fought in the war, you know. They didn't chicken out, like France or Switzerland." Red's face fell. "You're positive you're not from France?"_

_Colin shook his head. "No, sir. I'm grew up in Belfast."_

_Red's smile returned. "Good. Go have some chicken…"_

_Twenty minutes later…_

"_I've um, I've been here for about seven years," Colin answered for probably the twentieth time, maintaining his cool as everyone incessantly threw question after question at him just to make him speak. Each time he did, the crowd became excited, oohing and ahhing at his every pronunciation. Except for Hyde, who only rolled his eyes as he finally walked over to the table._

_Jackie watched him sit. "Steven," she sang, "this is Colin. Colin, Steven." Before either could respond, though, Fez jumped in and invaded Colin's personal space, sitting unusually close to his foreign counterpart. _

_Fez smiled excitedly and leaned in. "Say Fez." _

_Leaning back, Colin frowned and looked around before returning to Fez. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."_

_  
Fez grimaced and looked around. "What? What did he say?"_

_Colin looked to his right at Jackie, who smiled instantly and hugged his arm. "Say Fez, baby." _

"_Hey man," Hyde interjected from across the table. "If you don't, he's gonna bug the hell out of you all night. He's got a chemical imbalance."_

_Colin chuckled. "Alright," he said, turning to Fez with his hand out. "It's nice to meet you, Fez." _

_At that, Fez's face lit up as stood and took off yelling. "Oh, You are right, Donna. That IS sexy…"_

_One hour later…_

_As he sat with a fuming Fez, Hyde tried to listen to the crowd of giggling girls as Kelso showed Colin inside the Forman house, promising to show him the 'American' way of packing a cooler…_

"_Oh my God, Jackie. He is so sexy," Donna began as they all watched Colin walk into the house. "And that accent." She fanned herself. "Oh my God."_

_Jackie nodded giddily. "I know."_

_Next to her, Laurie only glared lasciviously at him and twirled her hair. "I know, you know, it's, like, I've always wanted to do it with a foreigner…"_

"_What?!" Fez exclaimed, stomping his foot. "That whore! She **did** do it with a foreigner. Hello," He looked angrily at Hyde and pointed to himself. "WE did it!"_

_Hyde nodded. "Yep. Can't you see what's happening, Fez? He's taken your foreigner mojo, man. In one day." He locked eyes with his brown friend and lowered his voice to a dangerous tone. "He's even got Kelso, man."_

_Fez's eyes narrowed. "I hate him." _

"_Me, too," Hyde said matter-of-factly, sitting back and taking a swig of his beer._

"_Wait," Fez was confused. "Why do **you** hate him?"_

"_For you, man!" Hyde replied quickly but Fez still looked confused so he grabbed his head and pointed it at the girls. "He's taking your mojo, man. Focus!" _

_On a mission—one that was long forgotten once the piñata was hung about an hour later—Fez shot up from his seat and took off to salvage his claim on Kelso. In the meantime, Hyde sat back and watched Jackie. She was so fucking happy, smiling and bouncing as all the girls, including Mrs. Forman, congratulated her on her greatest catch ever. Hyde couldn't figure out it why he even gave a shit, though. At the time, he interpreted it as a newfound, but altogether genuine, dislike for assholes from Ireland. But later, he realized that it was probably because he was alone and, for the first time in years, Jackie wasn't making those occasional glances at him or sparking awkward conversation, revealing that he still had an effect on her. _

_Whatever it was, though, he had been irritated that day and had just kept telling himself that Colin would be gone soon enough. He would fuck up or treat her like shit or run like hell when he realized what a pain in the ass Jackie Burkhart really was. Yeah, soon enough… _

The movie was just starting as Hyde stepped up to the van. Everyone was inside already, cuddled together in pairs, except for Jackie, who sat alone beside Fez and Amy against the Hoffa pillows. The other two couples were resting across from each other, leaned on pillows that lined the side walls. To his left were Kelso and Brooke, who both reached out to take the four buckets from his hands, while, to his right, Donna emptied his pockets and tossed most of the candy back at Fez.

"Catch, Fez!"

Hyde grimaced, feeling like he was getting jacked in the Ghetto all over again. "Hey, that one's mine," he said, taking a bucket back from Kelso. "And Jackie's." He glanced at her and she didn't argue. But she did roll her eyes away as Hyde crawled into the van and squished between her and Fez. "Man, scoot over."

Fez did, gladly, scooting closer to his girl with a smile as he placed his arm over her shoulder and winked at Hyde, who just chuckled and shook his head.

Warily, he turned to Jackie. "Hey, you want a beer?" She just shrugged, so he took that as a pissed off 'I do' and reached into the center of their set-up to open the cooler and get them both one. No one else seemed to be paying to attention to them or seemed concerned with the fact that Hyde appeared to actually be kissing her ass as the movie began, which was a good thing, too, because he would've stopped immediately if they had. For now, though, he was just trying to get her back to, at the very least, that place they resided in before Halloween: civility.

"Here," he whispered, handing her a cold Budweiser. When she took it, he offered her the bucket of popcorn.

"I don't want it," she muttered and scooted closer to the wall beside her, leaning her head against it as she started to watch the film.

"You want the blanket?" he asked, grabbing the last blanket from the center. Everyone else had been covered but her and it had to have been about fifty degrees out, at most.

Looking at him coyly, Jackie nodded. Given that, Hyde smiled inside as he opened up Eric's Empire Strikes back blanket and laid it over her. There, he thought, he had done all he could do. For now. He felt better. Maybe he wasn't a complete dick like everyone thought. Leaning back and folding his arms over his chest to keep warm, Hyde silently complimented Mrs. F on her pillow-making skills. The beans felt good on his back and he let his head fall on it as he settled in to watch the film.

Beside him, Jackie stirred a few minutes later. He didn't look but he was sure she felt closer. He could smell her now. A few moments later, she moved again. Yeah, definitely closer, he thought. The blanket was touching him now and then, out of nowhere, and without warning, it was being placed over him as her warm body came into contact.

"It's cold, okay," Jackie explained with a dismissive roll of her eyes. "You looked cold," she added quietly, trying to exude complete ambivalence as she cuddled up to him. Hyde smiled. She still cared about him.

"Thanks," he whispered and inched even closer to her, enjoying the feeling of cuddling under a blanket as she coiled her arms around his and rested her head on his shoulder. Hyde looked around. Everyone seemed entranced by the film, especially the two couples in front of him; they looked terrified, even, as Freddy Krueger's knifed hands scraped along a boiler. So, feeling confident in his furtiveness, he snuck a kiss to Jackie's head.

Beside him, though, Fez was more observant, nudging him and giving a strange look. Startled, Hyde looked to his right.

"She's cold. What?" Hyde snapped quietly.

The foreigner narrowed his eyes and looked at Jackie whose attention was on the movie. "What is going on with you two?"

"What? Man, shut up. Watch the movie."

Once Hyde got the pest off his back—or rather, Amy did it for him with a few kisses—Hyde focused his attention back on Jackie. There was something he wanted to do, but he had to be cautious about it. After glancing around to make sure no one was looking at them, Hyde fluffed up the blanket slightly and grabbed her hand, only to have it pulled away.

"Stop it," Jackie whispered, never taking her eyes off the movie.

With a huff, Hyde shifted his attention back to the large screen, too, and put his plan on a temporary hold. Patiently, he waited for several minutes and then tried again, this time gaining a stronger grip on her.

"Steven," Jackie grumbled as she tried to pull her hand away. "Let go."

Hyde leaned into her. "No," he whispered haughtily and then yelled out when her sharp nails dug into the tendons of his hand. "Ow! God damn it!"

Startled, everyone turned to frown at him. "Shhh!!" Kelso hushed loudly as they all continued to watch the movie.

Pissed off now, Hyde snapped his hand away from her and scooted away by about an inch. Fucking pain in the ass. No wonder they broke up; she was a child. An abusive, stubborn, spoiled fucking child…

* * *

Seventeen minutes later…

She was back, leaning up against him again, cold as the temperature steadily dropped outside. Beneath the blanket, though, it was as warm as hell could possibly get in south-eastern Wisconsin. Deciding 'fuck it' for his fourth time, Hyde grabbed her hand and fought through the pain as her nails dug in once again. Bravely, he shut his eyes to the sharp, stabbing pain, figuring he could take it this time. But it was getting progressively worse. "Ah!" he blurted out and ripped his hand away. "Fuck!"

"God, Hyde," Eric scowled. "What do you keep screaming for, man?"

"Yeah, what the hell, Hyde?" Donna laughed. "What do you have Turrets now or something?"

"Yeah, Steven," Jackie threw in. "You should probably have that checked out." Annoyed, Hyde faked a smile and nodded at her.

Irritated with Hyde's outbursts, Kelso initially sat scowling but his expression soon turned into a knowing smile. "Oh, I get it! He's trying to scare us! Ah ha. Nice try, Hyde. But you can't get me," he said, flipping his eyes back up to the screen.

"BOO!" Hyde yelled out, causing Kelso jump about a foot before giving Hyde another dirty look.

"Quit doing that!" he yelled angrily.

From that moment on, Hyde couldn't stop his laughter, even as Jackie smacked and poked at him to shut up. Eventually giving in, she sighed and placed her hand into his, hoping to quell his giggling fit so she could watch the movie. And it worked. Hyde grinned triumphantly and sat back, interlacing their fingers and taking hold. Somehow…Some-fucking-how….he had won.

It was a minor victory, but it was all his…

* * *

Forty-Five Minutes Later

9:37 pm

No more did a secret battle rage beneath the Empire Strike Back blanket. No. Instead, a subtle game of touching played out. However, it was mostly Hyde's game. He felt like he was junior high again, just happy to get a feel of soft, warm girl skin. Her arm, her hand, and, when he got brave, her waist. He had been waiting for a smack as he eased his hand beneath the hem of her sweater to place his hand on her bare flesh, but got no such thing.

Jackie did squirm, though, inwardly fighting her own desires as she sat tucked closely beside him. It was hard to ignore how good his sweatshirt smelled or how strong his arm felt, and even harder to ignore his brave little attempts at touching her. Her whole body tingled from it and she smiled softly, feeling like she was on a first date, back in junior high with a nervous boy beside her, doing his best to feel her up. Why she was nervous, too, she didn't know. But looking around at everyone else and not displaying on her face the fact that Hyde was trying to cop a feel beneath the covers was harder than she thought.

Luckily, Jackie thought, the entire gang was too enthralled in the movie to notice, including her at times. It was actually kind of fun when the scary parts would come and give her an excuse to hide in his chest. Plus, he would hug her and not let go until she was ready for him to. And it was times like those when they were free to just be. No one second-guessed that Hyde was just doing his duty as a man and a friend by comforting Jackie. Only Brooke, with her occasional worried looks, reminded the smaller brunette that she and Hyde were not supposed to be feeling the way they were.

"Oh! Holy shit! Run, you idiot!" Donna shouted at the big screen and hid behind Eric as Jackie, Amy and Brooke all did the same with their men.

When her fear subsided, Jackie turned her face forward again and felt Hyde tenderly kiss the top of her head. Closing her eyes, something poignant occurred to her. This is how it would have been with him, this grown man who was supposed to be hers. She had earned him, hadn't she? She had loved and cherished him when few would and wanted him with so much of herself that she nearly crumbled under the weight of it all.

Releasing her tucked arms, she wrapped them around Hyde's torso and squeezed, feeling another kiss fall upon the crown of her head. Whatever happened, however their lives turned out, Jackie knew that she never wanted to forget this moment…

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

10:06 pm

"Man! That was awesome!" Kelso exclaimed as Eric shut the back doors and turned on his flashlight with a nod. Kelso, Fez and Hyde turned theirs on as well. "Especially when that guy," Kelso continued with the bright light tucked beneath his chin, shadowing and warping his normally flawless features, "…got sucked into the bed and the all that blood shot up to the ceiling!"

Smiling, Brooke shook her head. "That was so disgusting."

"No," Jackie tossed in. "What was disgusting was how cute he was. Good-looking people are _not_ supposed to die in scary movies. It's supposed to be the ugly people that die while all the cute ones live on to be in the sequel." The mere thought of it made her face twist into disgust. "Ew. No one wants to see a sequel full of ugos!"

Kelso nodded. "That's true…And, lemme just say that it's obvious which of us would be heading for that sequel." Laughing pompously, he put his hands up. "I'm just sayin'."

"So what are we doin' right now?" Amy's voice rang out from the darkness beside Fez.

Fez flashed his light around to everyone. "Yeah. So what are we doing people? Are we coming or going. What?"

"Man, we've got two coolers full of beer right here." Flipping open one of them, Hyde reached in and grabbed several beers, tossing one to everybody, including Donna, who reached over and turned on the small radio that she and Eric had brought.

_Jessie is a friend, yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine  
But lately something's changed that ain't hard to define  
Jessie's got himself a girl and I want to make her mine_

"I say we're staying," Hyde announced and looked around.

Fez nodded. "I agree with Hyde."

"Me, too," Kelso concurred with his palms held out in front of him. "I like being able to have Brooke's ass in one hand and a free beer in the other." He shrugged and began to sing. "I guess I'm just _a simple kind of man_…" Excited, he shook his head and popped open his beer. "Man, Skynyrd_ still_ kicks ass!"

_And she's watching him with those eyes  
And she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it  
Yeah 'n' he's holding her in his arms late, late at night_

Nodding, Donna looked around. "Yeah, I mean. What would we be doing in a bar anyway? Drinking and talking to each other. We can do that right here." To add to her point, she raised her eyebrows and threw up a finger. "And _here,_ we don't have to worry about Hyde getting arrested or Fez dancing on tabletops."

"Excellent point, my lovely," Eric nodded and guzzled the rest of his beer down, his finger swirling in the air. "The van, 'tis," he eventually said and burped.

_You know, I wish that I had Jessie's girl  
I wish that I had Jessie's girl  
Where can I find a woman like that…_

Hyde looked over at Jackie. "I can't stand this damn song."

"I can't imagine why," she said flippantly, taking a sip of her drink.

While Jackie smirked at a glaring Hyde at one side of the van, Brooke sifted through wedding magazines and raised her hand at the other. "Okay, well since I have my whole wedding party here, minus my cousin, we need to go over a few things."

Most everybody—meaning all the guys—groaned and bitched as Brooke's eyes widened and her lips pursed into a tight pucker. "Oh no," Donna said, holding her arms out. "You guys shut up. She gets all scary and twitchy when her eyes do that," She pointed. "Like Eric."

"Hey," Eric objected. "That twitchy thing's all mine, baby."

"Yeah, you idiots. Shut up," Jackie shouted, smacking Hyde in the chest before reaching over to smack Fez, too. "Weddings are very stressful time for a woman. And it's not like the man ever helps!" Her scowl and Hyde's flashlight found Kelso's eyes. "Michael!"

"Hey, I wrote out invitations!"

"Yeah. Me, too," Hyde added before getting another smack to the chest. "Ow."

"There is way more to a wedding than invitations, Michael," Jackie explained scornfully, putting her fingers to her palm as of all the flashlights fell on her chest. "There are bands, seating arrangements, centerpieces, gowns, shoes, hair, catering, photographers, dove handlers, limos…"

"Wait. Dove handlers?" Eric repeated and turned his flashlight to Kelso. "Man, you guys are releasing doves?"

Kelso grimaced and put his own flashlight back beneath his chin. "No."

"I was talking about_ my_ wedding!" Jackie snapped angrily. "Now shut up and put those flashlights back on Brooke." With a slight tilt of her head, Jackie smiled sweetly and put her hands out to her friend. "Now go ahead, Brooke."

Pensively, Brooke's eyes grew wide as all of the attention and lighting turned back to her. "Oh my God," she muttered. "I haven't even decided on the centerpieces. Or the band. Or the hair. I haven't thought about the seating arrangement at all yet or the tabletop gifts…" Frowns grew as everyone watched in horror while Brooke began to hyperventilate. Even her husband-to-be scooted away cautiously. "…I still need to decide on the napkin colors and plates and silverware and glasses and the freakin' wedding party flutes!" Brooke grabbed her chest. "I ca…I can't…I can't…I can't do this Michael. I can't…"

"Hey. Brookie. Baby. It's gonna be okay," Kelso soothed, rubbing her back. "We have the next three weeks off to work on it."

"No, it's not okay, Michael!" Brooke snapped loudly, making everyone lean back in fear. As tears filled her eyes, though, Brooke only raised her hand to her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry, you guys. It's just that I haven't been to a wedding since Bob's, and…and I'm starting to think I have no idea what I'm doing and I…I know you're trying to help Jackie and Donna but I just…I…" Her face twisted into a sob and Kelso pulled her down against his shoulder. "Michael!"

"Baby, it's okay," he soothed quietly to her, kissing her head as he looked worriedly around at his friends. "This whole wedding's really been stressing her out."

Panning around the van, everybody's expressions were glum with worry and sympathy. Brooke was usually so together and calm. She was the rational mother of the group. She's was the fucking librarian for God's sake. Having a thought, Hyde reached back over the Hoffa pillows into the front seat and grabbed his stack of the week's newspapers. Stories of the shopping center collapse had prompted him to purchase them and maybe, just maybe, they would hold something that might cheer Brooke up.

"How can you read the freakin' newspaper while Brooke's crying?" Jackie scolded him, flicking his paper before crawling away to meet up with the other girls to console their friend. Hyde ignored her, though, and continued to flip through the pages, finding what he was looking for with a smile.

"Hey, Brooke," Hyde called out. "Would it help if you saw an actual wedding? I mean, would it help give you some ideas?"

Brooke raised her head and looked around. "I don't know. I guess so. Why?"

"Well," he started. "It looks as though the Krakowski/Robinowski wedding is just about your size." A nod and a wink from him to her intrigued the rest of the gang, who turned their flashlights toward him.

Brooke frowned. "I'm not following, Hyde" While, at the exact same moment, Jackie's jaw dropped, her lips curling into a quirky smile. He was brilliant.

"Well. I'm just saying," Hyde continued. "It looks like it's gonna be a pretty kick ass reception, Brooke. Over 200 guests in attendance," he said optimistically as he turned his light back down to the quarter-page announcement. "Christy Robinowski was a debutant. Miss Country Kenosha 1976.

Nudging Brooke, Jackie gasped. "Oh my God, I remember her. She was fabulous."

"…Two bands," he continued. "And most importantly, gang…an open bar."

"I'm in!" Kelso announced.

With a grin, Hyde looked back up at Brooke and nodded. "What do you say, Brooke?"

"But we weren't invited," Brooke argued, completely confused while everyone around her began to smile.

"Oh, no, Brooke," Hyde explained. "See, there's only one thing better than being invited to an open bar wedding reception." His grin grew wide across his face. "And that's crashing one."

Kelso nodded. "That's true, baby."

"We're gonna crash a wedding, Hyde?" she asked Hyde, who nodded, sure as shit.

"We are, Brooke. Tomorrow at," he gave the announcement one more look, "At three o'clock at the Kenosha Howard Johnson. And starting at four o'clock is the…Brown/Jackson reception down the street at the Ramada Inn._ And,_" He put up a finger, "at around five pm begins the Manning/Freeman shindig. You'll have three kick ass parties to check out while the rest of us get to get nice and shit-faced."

"It's a good thing my suit's pressed," Eric said, raising his can. "Count me in."

"Hell yes. Count me and Amy in, too," Fez nodded. "It's not like I haven't crashed one before. Right, Jackie?"

"Right, Eduardo!" The small brunette began clapping as she kneed herself over to her ex-boyfriend and kissed his cheek. "Steven, you're a genius!"

"It's the street smarts, babe. They never leave me."

Thinking nothing of the affection of her friends, Donna smacked her hands together. "Ok, so then, we should all meet in, like, the basement or something around 2:30. Oh, and make sure to dress up for the occasion. We need to blend in." She pointed at Hyde. "Hyde, you need to shave."

He shook his head. "Not happening."

Ignoring the unshaven adult delinquent, the redhead turned her attention to the foreigner and scowled warningly. "And when I say 'dress up for the occasion,' Fez, it means wear a _suit and a tie!_"

With a challenging glare aimed at Donna, Fez placed his flashlight below his chin. "Oh, fine. You show up to one baby shower with a Speedo on and they never let you forget it…"

As the rest of the group bickered and made plans, their flashlights fell unintentionally away from Jackie and Hyde's small corner of the van. Hearing nothing, though, no noise, no voices, the brunette lowered her smile as she kept a hold on her ex-lover's face and held his warm gaze on herself. In the near dark, she felt so close to him, remembering the way he felt against her skin only days before. And in his eyes, for the first time, in a long time, she saw inside him and stopped breathing. It was strange the way the earth turned sometimes, the way gravity pulled on you at certain moments in your life, the way one face could keep it all…

* * *

One Hour Later

11:21 pm

The two back doors to Hyde's van swung open and out came tumbling eight laughing twenty-somethings along with a plume of sweet smelling smoke. Giddy as hell, Kelso picked up Brooke and kissed her. He loved when she was happy. He loved the way she smiled at him when she was happy. But more than anything, he loved the way she kissed him when she was smiling and happy. Squeezing her tight, Kelso nuzzled her nose and gave her an Eskimo kiss.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too, baby," she giggled back.

"Oh, Jesus," Donna laughed. "I'll never get used to seeing Brooke high. It's so great. Isn't it great, honey?" she asked Eric as they made their way to their car with Fez and Amy close behind.

"It is great," Eric corroborated. "You know what's even greater?"

"Oh, no," Donna giggled. "What?"

Eric smiled peacefully. "You."

With a demure smile gifted in return, the redhead shrugged, "Oh, Eric," and kissed him.

"Oh, God," Hyde muttered while he shook his head and shut the doors to the van, having watched as the three other couples walked off and hugged, hand in hand, lips to lips. Even Fez had his girlfriend giggling and pinned up against his car. Hyde turned to Jackie, who was right beside him, watching, too. "What does this shit have the love potion #9 in it or what?"

Smiling, Jackie looked all around her. Maybe it did. Everyone seemed so happy.

"So, uh," Hyde stared at his feet for a moment until he got the nerve to look up at her. "You going home?"

With a half-hearted rise of her lips, Jackie pointed at Kelso and Brooke. "Well, no. I've gotta drive them home."

A similar smile puffed Hyde's cheeks as he sat down on his bumper and slid slightly toward her, leading her to do the same while the kissing soon-to-be-married couple—cooing at each other only a few feet away—paid no mind.

"Are you staying over there tonight?" Hyde asked her so quietly that she leaned closer, even though she had heard him. Truth was, she wanted to be closer, feeling as though she was being pulled by something, being drawn to him. But something about the clarity of the night air made her nervous again, even though her mind was still wrapped in smoke. She could hear Hyde so clearly, though. Underneath his words, he was hinting and flirting, practically begging, for an invitation. So, Jackie shook her head and held his stare.

"No. I'm going home, Steven," she muttered, disorientated by the sound of her own voice. It sounded out like an echo in her head. None of it sounded real anymore. Only him. Only_ his_ voice came in crystal clear.

"You gonna be alright there?" he asked.

A bright, yet shy, smile warmed her face and she looked down. "No. I'm probably gonna freak out tonight." Looking back over at him, at his smile, hers grew. He was so wonderful when he smiled. It's where his soul hid, she was sure of it.

"Why?" he asked, inching his fingers over until he placed his hand over hers on the cold steel where they sat.

"Cause of the movie, Steven," she sputtered out through nervous laughter. "You know, '_One, two, Freddy's comin' for you..."_ She stopped singing as his smile fell away.

"Yeah, you better not fall asleep. That's when he'll come for ya."

"Hey!" She shoved him away by his shoulder. "Steven!" He chuckled, his tongue hanging out like a child as he did. It was his 'giddy' laugh and she couldn't help but laugh with him. Maybe she had been wrong. Maybe that's where it hid: behind his laughter. God, maybe it was everywhere if she just looked for it. Playfully, she pushed him again. "Why would you say that to me, Steven?"

"To scare you," he answered and nudged her back. "What do you think?"

"Well, don't," she pointed sternly. "I get really scared in my apartment alone, especially after scary movies. Usually Col…" Jackie stopped herself and softened her smile. "Usually I'm not alone."

It was quiet after that. The parking lot was empty and only the sounds Kelso whispering to the mother of his children betrayed the silence. Jackie smiled at them and looked up at the stars, causing Hyde, who was watching her, to do the same.

"They're so bright after it rains. The stars," she clarified and smiled over at Hyde. "Not Kelso and Brooke."

"Yeah, I figured," he nodded as he held his eyes on her.

Sensing that there was more resting on the tip of his tongue, Jackie nodded, too, and waited for him to speak again, to say something, anything. All he had to do was open his mouth and ask. Instead, he only looked down and sealed his fate.

"Well," Jackie stood up and smiled with the slightest hint of disappointment tucked beneath the surface. If he only looked for it, he would see it. "I guess I better get them going. They'll be doing this all night if you let 'em."

"Yeah, okay," he said and got to his feet only to stand and face her in silence. A moment later, after rocking on her heels a few times, Jackie nodded and threw him an all too familiar smile—sweet but disenchanted—and started to walk away. It was then that he panicked. "Hey. Jackie."

Anticipatorily, she turned back around. "Yeah?"

He froze at the sight of her. God damn it! Why did it always happen this way? What was it about her expectant eyes that made him lock up? His heart pounding, Hyde stared at her, trying to force the words out, trying to give them air. But they were stuck in his throat and he blinked into a downcast before he found her face again. Time had run out. "Night," he settled for and clenched his jaw.

She forced a smile. "Goodnight, Steven." And then she walked away, grabbing Brooke and Kelso's attention as Hyde closed his eyes and turned back toward his van. After he got inside and dropped his head back on the headrest, he tried to figure out why he always did that. What was it about her that made him fucking clam up like that? It was her eyes, he quickly decided, seeing them in his mind. They begged for your soul, for everything you were. She was greedy and wanted it all. And the last time she had bewitched him and gotten him close to giving it to her, she had crushed it.

Snapping his eyes open, Hyde heaved a large breath and started his van up and turned on his radio as Jackie's car rolled past him with Kelso and Brooke inside.

… _be a simple kind of man  
Be something you love and understand  
Be a simple kind of man  
Won't you do this for me son, if you can?_

Some of the last few things Jackie said had him thinking, though, as he followed her car, splitting off from her as she merged onto the highway headed home toward Milwaukee. Had she been hinting to him? And what about when she said she didn't like being alone in her apartment? Was she trying to tell him something?

_Boy, don't you worry…you'll find yourself  
Follow your heart and nothing else  
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try  
All I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied…_

As Kenosha eventually turned into Point Place, Jackie's words continued to trouble him, slowly beating his brain into a near lobotomy, to the point where he couldn't think straight anymore. A fresh headache was stabbing through his brain, too, on top of everything else, distorting the road ahead and making him tired. And it was these little things, these physical reactions, that were telling him that the damn girl had him all fucked up like never before. Unable to control it, Hyde felt like he was going out of his mind…

* * *

Eleven Minutes Later

Hyde's Apartment Complex

Throwing the van into park, Hyde bolted out his van and jogged toward his apartment, bounding up the steps in twos until he reached the second floor and ran down the hall, slamming into his door. "God damn it," he cursed as he tried to find his key on a ring of several; all looking the God damn same.

Eventually, he found it and got inside, only to run for his bedroom and curse some more.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" There must have been a hundred pairs of jeans on the floor. Still having a few good brain cells left in his head, he grabbed the ones on the bed and reached inside the pockets, smirking when he found it, all shiny and silver. His excuse. His reason. His key to her place.

On his way out, Hyde grabbed the overnight bag still packed from two days before and snagged his toothbrush before going to the kitchen to get himself a Coke. And there it was, his answering machine, blinking red. It made him stop and swallow hard. It was her, calling from Minneapolis to tell him about her day. His girl. She was probably waiting in her hotel room, watching TV while she waited for him to call. Letting his head fall backwards gently, Hyde closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Before he made a move, though, he placed both girls at the front of his mind. Both at their best, smiling and laughing. For some reason, Jessica owned his mind, his thoughtful, rational mind. She had the part of him that wanted to do the right thing. And Jackie…Jackie controlled his body. She made his chest heavy and his lungs burn until they felt like they were going to implode. And it was only getting worse. So, without another rational thought, Hyde grabbed his keys off the counter and headed out the front door while Jessica's voice sat blinking in his kitchen, waiting for her turn to be heard…

"_Hi, baby. I know you said you said you were going to the movies with Kelso. But I just wanted to call and say goodnight…and give you a kiss. I love you. Kiss…"_

* * *

Thirty-Eight Minutes Later

Milwaukee, WI

Feeling slightly discouraged, Hyde stood at Jackie's front door and rapped his fist on her door again. Her car was outside but she wasn't answering. Ten God damned minutes must have gone by while he knocked—or, at least, it _felt_ that long—and he almost turned to walk away. But the sound of music coming from inside made him wonder if she could even hear his knocks at all. Setting aside all of his bullshit fears, Hyde pulled out her key and opened the door carefully.

"Jackie?" The place was dark. Not a single light was on. And it sounded like a Bee Gees concert was on tour in her bedroom.

_I know how I feel  
Lonely in the black of night_

"Jackie," he called out again, stepping toward the far back room. "Hey. Jackie." He was careful not to make too much noise, afraid that he would scare the shit out of her and end up with a baseball bat to the face. "Jackie. It's me. Hyde."

_There can be no love for me now  
Nobody listens when the words ain't right_

He reached her bedroom door and peaked inside. There was no movement, no sign of her, only music and stillness. The solitary light source came from between the slats of her mini-blinds, emitting a dark blue hue that striped the room and distorted the ruffles of her white bedspread, casting uneven shadows and making it impossible to tell if her small body lay beneath the covers.

_And you get into someone else  
It's hard for me to know  
Who's lovin' who_

"Jackie," he called out again and a sharp scream jolted him backwards. Flying up into a sitting position on her bed, Jackie quickly scrambled back against her headboard, her eyes wide as she reached beside her and grabbed a large butcher's knife. Horrified, Hyde threw his hands out. "Whoa! Whoa! Jackie! It's just me! Hyde," he assured her quickly and tentatively took a step closer to her. "It's okay."

_And where do I stand  
What did I do it all for  
There's no one I could love more  
I did it for your heart alone_

Releasing her terror and her grip on the knife, Jackie shut her eyes and clutched her chest; her breath coming in short bursts as her fists pounded onto the mattress beside her. "God, Steven! You idiot! You scared me! What the hell are you doing here?!"

Disappointed, Hyde's already pounding heart plummeted down into his stomach. It wasn't at all what he was hoping to hear from her and he let go of his sight, letting it wander down toward the floor. Damn it. Fuck. He had been wrong. Drawing in a deep breath, he prepared to try to explain himself and took a step backward, ready to make his quick retreat. "I don't know. I thought you…You said you didn't wanna be alone."

_And there is someone belonging to someone  
And I got no one belonging to me_

"I don't," he heard her say quietly; forcing his eyes up to her silhouetted form. "C'mere, Steven."

Immediately, he complied, full of hesitant relief as he ambled toward her and strained to make out the familiar features of her face. However, when he reached her bed, his eyes adjusting to the dark, they became clear to him and a slight smile eased the tension from his lips. Her face—beautiful, of course—appeared soft and welcoming as she climbed to her knees and crawled over to meet him.

_I live in a world where the face of an angel  
Is all that a fool can see  
You got the power to find me whenever I'm lost_

"Steven," Jackie breathed. On her knees, she stood upright—her hips mere inches from his—and smiled as her fingers found his belt. "I thought you didn't have my key?"

"I didn't," he explained quietly, turning his gaze down to her errant hands, locked on his buckle as she drew the leather strap away from its grasp. "I went home and got it." He looked back up to stare at her while she forcefully opened up his jeans, yanking his hips forward before moving her attention up to the hem of his sweatshirt. Suddenly, he felt it rising and reached for the ceiling, inviting her to pull it off his body. She did, of course, giving him a playful smile when the black material rose to reveal his face again.

_I believe in time  
It can eat away a heart of stone  
And, baby, if I leave you too late  
It's just a feather and the bird has flown_

"Lay down," she whispered and dropped his shirt to the floor. From there, her body relaxed and fell back to the bed where she turned to her side and waited for him.

_It's colder when the fire dies  
And all the trouble I'm in if I lose you too_

Quickly, Hyde undressed down to his boxers and climbed into bed. "What's with the music?" he asked.

"I always listen to music when I sleep," Jackie replied, cuddling up with her pillow as he lay down beside her and pulled the blankets over them.

_Then what is my life  
If I don't wanna go through  
Anything without you  
Couldn't be life at all_

"This loud? I was knocking forever."

Jackie smiled. "I was scared."

His eyebrow arched high. "Yeah, well, if anything's gonna scare away the boogie man, it's the Bee Gees," he replied with a sarcastic smirk. "So good choice." With that, Hyde lowered his head onto the pillow adjoining hers and received his light smack with pleasure.

_I could be lyin' but  
You are the only one  
We didn't make it by chance_

"Don't be a jerk, Steven. You know I like them," Jackie giggled and reached over to turn down the volume.

_And there is someone belonging to someone…_

"Yeah, I know," he admitted and turned quiet when she rolled back to him. And as the next minute slowly passed, they simply stared at each other through the tiny expanse of darkness that separated them, completely unsure of what to say. All the things leftover, all the apologies not given, all of the words unsaid, were saved for another day. As for tonight, Hyde reached his arms out below the covers and pulled her toward him, bringing his lips to within inches of hers. He could feel her breath on his skin and the desire to kiss her was overwhelming his body. He'd been fighting against it all evening and was exhausted from wanting her, so, eagerly, he leaned in.

Jackie backed away, though. "Steven, I'm not…" Her mouth closed as she took a thoughtful pause but it reopened quickly. "Will you just hold me? And go to sleep with me?" At that, she stared at him expectantly and waited.

"Wait…What?" was all he could say.

"Look. I'm still mad at you, Steven," Jackie said sternly, but then, her face changed, becoming tender. "But I don't want you to go."

Hyde didn't know what to say to that. The fact that she was still pissed at him, he could accept and, of course, he would stay. And although he wanted nothing more than to be inside of her, sex wasn't the only reason he came. But, fuck, just the thought of lying here with her dressed in that tiny, little t-shirt, her incredible body pressed to his all night, was torture in and of itself.

Hyde swallowed. "Jackie, I did call. All day today. No one answered."

She just stared at him. "Steven… Please… Just… hold me, tonight." Her pleading eyes bore so trustingly into his that the overwhelming guilt they were inflicting on him—a feeling that he had once been able to suppress—took over.

Blowing out a lung-full, Hyde closed his eyes. "Okay," he muttered and, once the word disappeared from his lips, he felt her head snuggle happily against his chest. Below, her smooth, bare leg hooked over his hip and pulled him nearer, while her arms crossed neatly over her breasts, tucked comfortably between their bodies. Almost immediately, he paused and had to marvel at how good it felt. The contact. She was so warm and soft, and her body was so delicate compared to his that he felt like he was protecting her, which felt strangely good. Curious about something else, Hyde inhaled through his nose and raised his eyebrows in approval. Her hair smelled incredible like he thought it would. It smelled different tonight, though, like warm grapes. God, he found her so sexy.

As his arms tightened around Jackie and melded their bodies together at every curve, Hyde slid his leg between hers to complete the cuddle and, as much as he was aching for more, he tried hard to accept the fact that she just wanted this.

"Hold me tight, too, okay?"

Hyde squeezed her tighter, hoping to God that he would be able to sleep despite the music, and hopefully soon, too, because he wasn't sure how long he could restrain himself without trying to seduce her. His mouth and lips craved hers and he wondered why in the hell she wasn't wanting him in the same way. He suspected Colin. It was possible that he had gotten to her the way Jess had gotten to him. Either way, though, 'Fuck Colin,' he decided for the moment. He was holding her now and, for all he knew, it was for the last time.

Breaking through his thoughts, Jackie looked up at him and brought her warm hands up to his cheeks.

"Thank you," she whispered and paused for a second to frown. "You know, I actually missed you, Steven." Gently, Jackie pulled his head down and barely touched her lips to his, closing her eyes as she rubbed them slowly from side to side. The teasing was driving Hyde crazy and, in his fog, he became over-excited and tried to kiss her hard. But Jackie backed away, denying him.

Bewildered, Hyde swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut. His heart was pumping furiously in his throat, transferring the blood from his brain down to the lower half of his body. He couldn't see straight anymore and the dizziness was beginning to overtake his senses. "Jackie, come on…" he pleaded quietly, pulling her closer.

Having mercy on him, Jackie leaned forward again and pressed her mouth gently to his, giving him silent permission to kiss her once, allowing him, only briefly, to dip his tongue tenderly inside to taste hers, forcing him to take what he could get until she pulled away again.

"G'night, Steven."

His breath was heavy. "Wait. Don't stop." Pressing his erection—rock hard and aching—against the tender flesh between her thighs, Hyde nuzzled his mouth toward her ear and hugged her tightly. "Can't you feel this?"

"Steven. No," Jackie whimpered, fighting her own urges as she kept her mouth away from his. "Stop it. Tomorrow, okay," she explained as she pushed him back gently. "_If_ you've made it up to me."

Stunned, Hyde's rounded eyes danced between hers as she held him at bay. His first thought was that she was punishing him, playing games, but she looked too serious to be doing that.

"Steven. I want to. But you really hurt me."

The way she said it snapped him from his mist. Her eyes, firm but sincere, were locked on his. Still, though, he looked away and gazed past her head to the window where the leafless branches of a tree blew sideways with the fall wind. It was countless the amount of times he'd hurt her, countless how many times he'd felt this way, sorry for something he'd done. So, raising an eyebrow, Hyde returned to her face and squeezed her waist playfully.

"Okay."

Shrugging happily, Jackie smiled brightly. "You'll just lay with me?"

Hyde nodded and smiled, too, feeling pretty good in his decision. It felt a whole lot better to make her smile than to make her cry. "Yeah. We could do that." She threw her head at his chest again and hugged him fiercely.

"Mm, this'll be fun, Steven. And you can make me breakfast in the morning," she said excitedly. Hyde chuckled, having forgotten that the girl couldn't cook for shit.

He cleared his throat. "Alright. How about this? If you promise to eat it in the nude, I'll make whatever you want," he grinned and took his smack with pride before retreating back into their embrace. Hyde closed his eyes. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, he thought to himself, hanging out with her for a little while; trying a few new things, things he might have scoffed at years before, like risking a baseball bat to the face just to see her or lying on your back in the middle of a skating rink just to make her smile. Hyde felt Jackie kiss his chest and the corners of his lips rose. Tonight, he let her pull him down onto the ice and, so far, there were no regrets…

To Be Cont.

* * *

**A/N2: **Ok, I, being the shameless beggar that I am, am gonna ask that you consider that it's my birthday week before you decide to blow the review off. And yes, I celebrate the whole week. Hehe. Come on, gimme something here. I spent a lot of time on this. –pouts- Pweeese. How can you deny a pouting girl on her birthday week, I ask you? 


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Forman's Seven (The Wedding Crashers)**

**A/N:** Thank you for the reviews. Alright, chapter 18: It is _super_ long. And I know I'm going to catch crap for this beginning scene, but I love it and I'm willing to take the reaming for it. So be easy on me if you can.

One song is_ **required **_for **_everyone_**. It's like a little theme song for this chapter. It's pretty. I'll even exchange my reviews this chapter if you'll just listen to it. **Please.** That's how important it is to me. **It is to be played immediately after you read this A/N** for the first scene/flashback because, basically, if this were a movie, this song would be playing in the background. It brings out the scene, and the strange emotion that it evokes, _and_ reminds me of a scene from a TV show I loved. So go to Youtube _right now_, no arguing, and copy and paste or type this in the search— **sigur ros untitled #4** —It's the one with the black and white drawing of a man, a few down. If you don't listen, you'll be _completely_ missing the point of the flashback. It should also be replayed when you see this symbol… xxxxx …near the end of the chapter. Okay, so play it _now_…

Thank you to Tanith because you feed into my craziness and I love you for it. Mwah!

**Warning: Rated M for explicit sex and language**

* * *

_August 29, 1980_

_Igniting around him in slow strobes, lights flashed and flickered behind the beat of the music; young bodies danced by twos in what felt like slow motion; booze numbed the feelings; darkness hid the pain. But he continued to move through it, his focus set on the club's exit…and, of course…on her. _

_Possessively, he held her small hand in his, clasping it tightly so he wouldn't lose her in the sluggish crowd; too afraid to let her go; terrified that she would see right through him and change her mind. He couldn't risk it. Not tonight. He needed her. He needed her body. He needed to feel its small size, naked and warm, against his own. He needed her dark hair. He needed to feel it fall around his face as she kissed him with her full, red lips. But mostly, he needed her hands. He needed to feel delicate pink fingernails scratch lovingly down his chest as she whispered his first name into his skin._

_He needed to feel something. But not just anything. He needed to feel **her**. If just for tonight, he needed to feel loved by her. _

_He needed a lot of things._

_So with a gentleness he didn't know he possessed, he helped her into his car, and drove them to her apartment. And as they walked her parking lot, he couldn't help but think about how much he liked her. She was being so quiet. And she seemed to know what it was he wanted. But, amazingly, she didn't seem to care. She only smiled as he stared at her. _

_God. She was more than beautiful. _

_So graceful, too, as she let him into her home, his angel, and, just like that, he decided that God had sent her to him. He believed. He believed in God again. Because of this girl. Because she was too good to be true. In the dark, his heart beat for her, aching to feel her touch while he followed her inside and shut the door behind them. _

_Through the silence, their eyes met and, by rare instance, he revealed his pain, almost shamefully, pleading for her mercy. And with sympathy in her eyes, she smiled demurely as she took his hand to lead him down the hall to her bedroom. He didn't speak while she shut the bedroom door; he only watched her as she stepped toward him and felt his chest shudder when she reached up to tenderly slide her fingers into his hair. It was the most incredible feeling in the world. It was her. He could feel her as he shut his eyes. She was here. _

_Within moments, soft lips touched his and he bent at his knees, her tongue carrying him into rapture as he picked her up to carry her to bed. Carefully, he laid her down and settled his hips between her thighs, stopping to look at her one more time before he began to unfasten her blouse. Soon, though, in the thin veil of darkness, his deprived fingers grew impatient; frustrated with the frail little buttons. _

"_God damn it," he grumbled._

_By a soothing hush, she stopped him. "It's ok, Hyde," she whispered and pushed him gently, rolling him onto his back._

"_Hey," he whispered back, sliding his hands tenderly over her hips. "It's 'Steven."_

_Finishing with her blouse, she smiled and slid the thin cloth off. "Close your eyes, Steven."_

_Adamantly, Hyde shook his head. "I don't want to," he asserted and pulled her body down over himself to kiss her. As expected, her hair fell around his face, leaving him surrounded by the haunting scent of warm grapes. And as memories flooded his mind, Hyde clenched his shut eyes. Fuck. She smelled so good. So familiar. It was driving his senses crazy, and hurting like all hell, until the endorphins and testosterone in his body saved him, mixing through his bloodstream to numb his heart. Softly, he kissed her mouth. He couldn't believe his luck. He almost slipped and told her he loved her. Almost. _

_His need for control mounting, Hyde rolled her to her back again and stripped her body down to her incredibly soft skin. Her flesh was perfect beneath his hands. Her breasts, small but full. Her nipples, rigid like little pebbles between his fingers. Her waist; so tiny. Her stomach…Hyde lowered his lips to the base of her sternum and began to kiss over every inch of her hot flesh until his forehead fell upon her abdomen. He didn't move. He couldn't. He was frozen painfully in the past as her fingers began to meander lovingly through his hair. God, he missed her._

"_Are you ok, Steven?" she asked sweetly, her voice ripe with worry._

_Looking up at her concerned eyes, Hyde rose to meet her lips again, giving her an even sweeter kiss. "No more talking. Okay?" he whispered, and with a look of understanding that surprised him, she closed her eyes and submitted to him, covering her own mouth with his, her naked body writhing against his clothed one as she sucked eagerly on his tongue. Encouraged by her fervor, Hyde returned it two-fold, devouring her mouth like the starving man he was. Fuck. She liked this, he realized. She actually liked the fact that, tonight, she was a stand-in, a replacement for something that couldn't be replaced. And it wasn't until then that he noticed how hard his dick was for her. It was straining beneath the material of his jeans, needing to be inside of her, needing to feel her warm sex hugging his, needing to fuck her until she convulsed around him, wanting to watch her come. _

_Hyde sat up and pulled his shirt off, working his belt feverishly as ten doting fingernails raked down his chest. And he smiled. "God," he breathed out and removed the last of his clothes before flipping her body over with force and lying over her. "Don't say anything," he growled into her ear before biting her lobe and scraping his teeth away. _

_With a satisfied smile, she moaned, and then… intense pleasure struck him. _

"_Oh, fuck." Agonizingly, Hyde shut his eyes while her hips rose from the bed to tease his engorged flesh. And as they did, his eyes opened, wanting to watch the twists and waves of her lithe little body as it moved for him. He reached out to pull lightly on her soft, brunette locks—just like hers—before inching his questing hands down to the smooth flesh of her sides. God, she was perfect. She looked exactly like her, and finally, he was home. _

_Languidly, he kissed her back, nuzzling his face lovingly over her skin. "I miss you," he mouthed in silence. And it wasn't until that moment, as he readied himself to enter her, that he realized how much he had actually loved her. And as he gently dragged the swollen tip of his erection between her soft folds, feeling them moisten and spread for him, he realized how much he still did love her. Because, as he slowly slid the entire length of his shaft inside her, he imagined it was Jackie that he was filling, it was her that was moaning for him, that was feeling him deep inside the core of her ache. It was her who wanted him to fuck her harder as she thrashed and begged for more. It was her creamy liquid warming him as he pumped in and out and drove her body to orgasm. _

_His mind rapt in ecstasy, Hyde raised his closed eyes to the ceiling. God, she was coming. He could feel her. She was coming so hard. _

"_Come for me, baby," he whispered gruffly through his panted breath, gripping her hips and thrusting harder and faster until he was slamming into her with such force that she began to scream out in deep grunts… this tiny girl. And as her slick grip spasmed around him again, he could feel warm droplets of her come begin to trickle down her thighs, sending him over the edge immediately. _

_Quickly, Hyde pulled out of her and thrust into his own fist until he exploded over the small of her back, cursing at God as he had the most intense orgasm of his life. _

_Spent, Hyde collapsed beside Carrie and pulled her body into a tight hug as she kissed his face lovingly all over. With renewed desperation, his mouth sought hers, and it was when he knew how fucked up he really was. It was a memory that had made him come, a memory of **her**, not of the girl shaking in his arms. He was really fucked up. And he knew it. But by that point, he was too far gone to give a shit anymore. And **she** was gone forever…_

…Almost Four Years Later….

November 10

Four o'clock in the Morning

Her chest quietly rose and fell with his. Breathe… In… Out… In… Out… In… As he exhaled, Hyde shut his eyes. It was so hard to look at her when thoughts like these came barreling though his mind. He was embarrassed. Ashamed that he had been so weak. Not by the fact that he had loved her for longer than he cared to admit, but because he had let her win, even though she had no idea, no idea at all how dark she had turned his world for almost two years.

The memories of the couple years that had followed her came through in dark melancholy shades of blues and grays. But to him, they just seemed hazy. From booze and drugs to sex and indifference; he had let them all have him. And, in that time, many women had entertained him, held him close and told him they wanted him; a few had cried for him and all had warmed his cold body with theirs but none had made it past his flesh. Save one, who actually held his heart. And _she_…got _this_ in return.

Opening his eyes again, Hyde looked at Jackie, his vision traveling from her hair, splashed over her pillow messily, down to her painted fingertips, light pink and spread over the sheet between them; she was the most beautiful thing he had ever pushed away.

Gently, so he wouldn't wake her, he lifted her pinkie and let it slide between his index finger and thumb. Everything about her was alluring; soft and beautiful. But she made him weak and he had hated her for it. This tiny girl, who knew how to draw out the monster that lived inside him; she could make him hate and want and love and loath until he hardly recognized himself. And for that, too, he had hated her.

For years, he didn't know what in the hell to make of that. That one person could make you hate with such a searing fire that the world turned black, followed by your heart, while burying you with your own love for them at the same time. She was an enigma. She, who got him to abandon the only good thing that had happened to him in five years, was crawling inside him again, where the monster slept. He could feel it.

Delicately, he raised her pinkie to his lips and kissed the skin that his own had been craving that faraway night as he made love to another. She was an enigma, a beautiful, painful mystery, back from forever…

* * *

…Almost Two Hours Later…

… 5:47 a.m. …

The sullen blue tint of dawn had just arrived and Jackie's eyebrows crinkled painfully as it cast its evocative hue over Hyde's skin. Immersed in his outline, Jackie watched while four of her fingers grazed slowly down the length of his forearm before turning to sweep appreciatively up his bicep. He was perfect to her. And with that thought, she drew in a shuddered breath before moving to smooth her hand over the broad curves of his shoulder and down the warm valley of his spine. Lowering her head to her pillow, Jackie closed her eyes and smiled softly.

Perfect.

But not hers.

Thankfully for Jackie, though, _his_ eyes were swollen shut in sleep, so he could not witness her fall. And thankfully, for her, the sounds of thunder cracking ominously outside veiled her shallow breaths, so he could not hear her struggle to catch herself. Thankfully, he would be aware of none of it as he lay and dreamt of touching her, too.

A loud thunderclap startled Jackie to raise her head. Beyond the dark azure shadows of her window, the rain had not yet returned. But it was close. She could feel it. She could sense its growing energy as she lay her head back down. It was as inevitable as all of the emotions that continued to rush up and crash into her with each rise and fall of his torso. She was on its edge. Waiting. And a chill prickled her chest. She was so close to plummeting over it with him that it scared her to death.

In all her years of anger, through all the hurt, it had never occurred to her that one day he would grow into the man she had once imagined he could be, that one day all his demons would leave him in peace. If she had only waited as he had asked, if she had only been patient with him, she could have been there for it. But she had ignored him and pushed him away instead, demanding that he change right then, when all he really needed was time.

And here he was, grown like he had promised he someday would be, and sleeping after a long night of trying to show her, to make her see, that he was here, with little acknowledgement in return. But had he left? No. Sweeping her finger down the slope of his nose, Jackie smiled. No, he hadn't. He had stayed, for the mere chance of a kiss. That was all she had promised…_if_ he made things up to her.

One kiss. And he stayed.

Leaning in, Jackie closed her eyes and found his lips, plumped and puckered from the pressure of his pillow. The kiss she left was gentle but it startled him from sleep nonetheless, making his eyes snap open.

Jackie smiled at his drowsy frown. "Hey, sleepy."

"What's up?" Hyde stretched and groaned. And with dead weight, his arm lifted the covers and flopped over her waist as he closed his eyes again to head back toward sleep. Seeing an opportunity, Jackie scooted in closer and stared at him carefully.

"Hey, _Ste_-ven," she sang quietly. But he remained quiet. "Steven."

His eyes stayed closed. "Hmm?"

"What's my name?" she whispered.

"Hmm?"

Jackie rolled her eyes. "What's my name, baby?" she whispered as breathily as she could while rubbing her hand down his back, putting just enough pressure to make it massaging. "Say my name, Steven."

One blue eye popped open and closed again. "Jackie, stop playing games and go back to freakin' sleep."

At the sound ofher name, and not another, she smiled and laid her head down beside his. More than satisfied, Jackie closed her eyes and, after a few minutes, drifted back into sleep, never realizing that, after eight years, Steven Hyde had finally grabbed her.

They were young, still, standing over their childhood ledge and foolishly choosing to lean back and fall once again. Eyes closed. Hands clasped. Minds blinded by the past. There was no going back. Not without pain. Not without consequence. And someone was going to get hurt. Just like before…

* * *

… **IT BEGINS …**

**Saturday, November 10, 1984 – 9:58 am**

**Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

**The Apartment of Jacquelyn Burkhart**

With a stretch and a sleepy sigh, Jackie smiled right into consciousness, wiggling her toes and straightening her arms and legs until they came back to life. "Mmm," she shrugged happily. It was a good morning. She felt so rested. Plopping her hands down over her chest, she looked around. It was going to be another cold, cloudy, frizzy-haired day, though. It called for loose curls, for sure, and lots of hairspray.

Jackie smirked. Curls.

Her smile growing, she turned her cheek right, expecting to see some pressed to the other pillow. But none were there. He was gone. Instinct forced a gulp. He couldn't. Sitting up, she glanced around her quiet room. He wouldn't! The brunette tossed back her covers and swung her legs out of bed. She'd kill him! God, it was freezing but her robe was nearby on a chair, so she grabbed it and put it on as she flew out of her room. _No._ She'd kick him until he cried and_ then_ she'd kill him.

Not a moment later, Jackie's heart sunk as she searched every room of her empty apartment. Part of her had been hoping that he was just snooping around or watching TV or something. But he wasn't. He really had left. And she felt disappoint steal her good morning away as she slowly shuffled into her living room.

"Jerk," she muttered and dammed back all of her stupid tears; he didn't deserve them. He was nothing. He was just another asshole that she had let into her bed.

"Asshole." Jackie plopped down on her couch and felt her entire body shrink, crushing her heart in the process. In silence, she soothed her own soul, reminding herself that he had probably just been here for sex and that _she_ had won, because he didn't get any. She sucked in both of her lips and blinked her eyes as they began to drown in saline. Wiping the tears trapped between the corners of her lids, she told herself that it was nothing to cry about. Tears weren't gonna change the fact that had started to fall for him again. And they weren't gonna change the fact that he was the same jerk he always had been, using her like a toy; his good old, faithful toy.

A seething rage began to bubble up through her expanding chest. Hate followed. Who the fuck did he think he was?! Treating her like some damned red light district whorehouse whore and coming into her apart…

Just then she heard a noise—like a key being jammed into her front door—and as it opened, she stood, immediately locking eyes with Hyde. She might have been happy to see him but her rage had her seeing him in a deep tint of red.

"What's going on?" he asked casually, shifting a brown paper bag from one arm to the other as he shut the door.

"_What's going on?!"_ she repeated angrily and stalked toward him, stopping a couple feet away. He only looked at her. No change in his expression. Only curiosity shone in his eyes. "Where the hell were you?!" she demanded to know. "You just leave? And don't even say anything! Like I'm some cheap whore that you can just lay in bed with and then walk out in the morning cause you didn't get what you wanted?! Well, think again, _Hyde_! 'Cause I'm not!"

She stopped her tirade long enough to grow more pissed at his smirk. Her eyes narrowed.

"You finished?" Hyde asked coolly.

"No," Jackie responded glaringly, her mood still sour and accusatory, her entire torso shaking with anger. "Why'd you leave?" But his smirk only grew and she could barely _believe_ the fucking nerve of him! "Is there something funny here, Steven?! Because I don't find the fact that you're still an insensitive asshole_ funny_ at all!"

In the face of her anger, Hyde only took in a deep breath and let his face fall, his eyes glancing around the room to keep his composure. "Your fridge was empty, Jackie. I was out getting the crap I needed to make you breakfast."

As the words tumbled from his stiff lips, Jackie finally grasped that he was holding a grocery bag. His eyebrows and shoulders rose at her; he was waiting for her response. Right then, Jackie's heart sunk. Her mind was reeling. Was he really out getting her food? Or was he lying? Going by the look on his face, she suspected she knew the answer. So, as subtly as she could, Jackie inched upwards onto her tiptoes and tightened her lips while she peeked into the bag. All she could see was the top of a half-gallon of orange juice. Her favorite.

"Oh," came out past a detained breath. Her body was frozen as his goaded, blinking stare shifted to something else in the room. He looked crestfallen to her, frustrated, too, and she suddenly felt terrible.

"Steven, I," she started as he slowly moved his eyes nearer to her again and then up until he was, once again, staring at her. "I'm sorry," she said, warily and took a step toward him. With doe eyes, she offered a slight smile. "I thought…"

"Yeah. I know what you thought, Jackie."

"Steven. I didn't mean…"

As he watched her, to her surprise, the smirk began to creep back over his lips. "You were upset…" was his assessment. And at that, Jackie frowned and tilted her head, waiting for more. His eyebrows pitched briefly. "…that I was gone."

"No," she denied flatly.

His expression only shined with satisfaction. "Yes, you were. Just admit it…You want me here."

Her mouth fell open, just about to make an argument but she closed it up. There was no way on earth she was going to admit that she had been upset at the thought of him leaving; or that she had been crying. Oh, God, no.

"Hmph! You wish, Steven," she said haughtily and turned her shoulder on him as her heel followed. "I just wanted my breakfast," she insisted to save face as she headed for her bathroom. "And I expect it to be ready when I get out of the shower."

Hyde scoffed. "You can expect to starve then, too."

"I heard that," she called back and shut the bathroom door.

Satisfied with his second minor victory, Hyde smirked and headed for the kitchen. _Pain in the God damn ass_…

* * *

… Two Hours Later …

12:03 p.m.

At the foot of Jackie's bed, Hyde lay with his head propped in his palm, so bored that he had to blink several times just to make sure he wasn't in a coma.

"Come on, Jackie. Will you just get dressed already," he demanded for the twentieth time as he rolled onto his back, completely frustrated with her. "Your hair looks fine."

The next thing he knew, her hurried form was breezing past his head. "Steven, I don't have time to chit-chat with you right now; I have to get dressed!"

Annoyed, Hyde rolled his eyes away and sat up to watch her. And just like that, his mood lightened considerably, impressed with the vista of his ex-girlfriend in a little cream-colored silk slip, hair in loose curls, legs bare, and panties presented as she stretched up on tippy toes to search for something in her closet. Hyde smiled.

"Ok, Steven. I need you to help me decide which shoes go with…" Jackie trailed off as she turned around, two small boxes and a dress in hand. His molesting eyes, playful and lascivious, were set all over her body and Jackie bit back her bottom lip in a smile. "Steven, are you even listening to me?"

Hyde shook his head. "No…C'mere," he said in a soft voice, making her smile rise and fall and then rise again as she stepped closer to the bed and let him pull her down over him. He fell back with her and reached up into her hair, his wandering fingertips igniting her skin with goose bumps. "I want that kiss now," he said, raising his lips to meet hers.

Frowning teasingly, Jackie moved her head back. "Who said you get a kiss?"

"You did," he reminded her sharply. "Last night."

"I said _maybe,_ if you make it up to me. I'm still mad at you, Steven."

Hyde only blinked at this.

Confused, Jackie continued. "You know, cause…cause of what you did." Her arms were holding her torso high above him but she let them slack slightly. He looked so cute and sweet lying beneath her, his hands still in her hair, just waiting for his kiss. Blinking. "Steven, I…I told you…"

Then she blinked, too, slowly, relaxing as she smiled at him. Okay, well _maybe_ he did deserve a _little_ kiss for making her blueberry pancakes. "Okay one," she offered, putting a small grin on his face, too. "But then that's it, Steven. I swear to God… For now," she added, quietly.

Staring down at him, the wavy tips of her hair framing his face, Jackie noticed the drowsy content that whirled in his eyes. He was happy. And it was because of her. She could feel it all around him.

"C'mere," he whispered through the thunder that began to rumble outside, raising his head as he pulled hers down. Their lips joined but neither puckered; they only touched, rubbing lightly until they both closed their eyes and smiled into a deep kiss. A sharp inhale forced his body to rise into hers and as the energy heightened between them, he rolled her to her back and smiled down. Lowering his head, Hyde tried his best to steal another kiss, but was stopped by her invading hand.

"Op," she blurted, turning her face to the side, her palm over his lips. "No. No. I just said one."

Grimacing something awful, Hyde pushed himself up. "You were fuckin' serious about that?"

A pouty scowl on her face, Jackie pushed him off of her and positioned herself back over him. "Do you like the way I kiss you, Steven?"

Hyde frowned. "Is this a trick question?"

"No," she smacked his chest, "stupid. I'm just saying that if you're good, you might get another." To Hyde's dismay, Jackie took her lips far away from his and stood up, grabbing her things as she did. "But for now," she continued, "you need to help me decide which shoes go better with this dress." In pure confusion, he watched as his ex-girlfriend did the craziest damned thing. She put two different shoes on, hook a wire hanger over her neck with a dress hanging from it and stood like a damned flamingo, alternating feet, over and over and over again. "So what do you think? These or these?" she asked.

Hyde let his confusion show. "Isthis another trick question?" he said as he stared at her feet and then at her. "Can't you just ask me if you look fat or something? Cause I think I know the right answer to that one."

She swatted at him. "No. Steven. And stop being a jerk. Now which?"

"They both the exact same, Jackie."

Planting both feet on the ground, his half-dressed, half-irritated ex-girlfriend pointed down sternly. "This one has a strap, Steven!"

He tried. A moment, maybe two, passed and he looked back up at her with a shrug. "Yeah, I'm not seeing the difference..."

* * *

… Two hours later …

Hyde's Apartment

As she sat on the edge of Hyde's bed, Jackie bent down to fasten the ankle straps of her favorite brown heels. When she was done, she stood up and looked herself over. All ready, she determined as she fluffed her fall dress. Hair perfect, nails painted, dress flowing, shoes strapped, lips lustrous and kissable. Only one thing remained. Her date. Looking over to the other side of the room, where a nearly bearded Hyde frowned into the mirror, his chin raised, pissed as he tried to knot his tie, Jackie smiled.

"Here," she said, strolling over to him. "Let me do it." Without protest, he lowered his arms and stood quietly as Jackie straightened down the two ends of his tie again. As she did, her eyes glossed over the image of him in his suit. It was dark with a nice cut and it was hard to ignore how handsome he looked in it. And so grown. She wondered, though, why he had it. And considered all the times he probably wore it and knew that she probably wasn't the first to admire him in it. "You look so handsome, Steven," she told him sincerely, her eyes and hands focused on making the perfect knot while his simply focused on her.

"You look beautiful," he softly muttered in return, unconsciously placing his hands on her hips. And as she glanced up and smiled, he realized they were getting deeper, his feelings toward her, and slowly driving him toward stupidity. Worse, the craving to kiss her was actually beginning to hurt and that couldn't be good, he decided.

"There," Jackie said, smoothing her hands down his tie. "Perfect."

Nodding, Hyde drew her a little closer, "Thanks," and took the third kiss on this gray-skied November afternoon. As quickly as the hurt was arriving today, it never ceased to find its path back home. So far, it was a perfect day…

* * *

… Thirty minutes later …

2:34 p.m.

The Forman Basement

'Africa' by Toto plays on a newer stereo.

Donna watched her man smile and step away from the new stereo that Red had bought for the basement – his new man's room. "Eric. I swear to God. If I have to hear this song one more time, I'm gonna…"

He stopped and outstretched his arms. "I can't help where I come from, Donna."

"You were there for five months, Eric," Donna argued rather pointlessly since he only stared back at her. "Almost five years ago, may I remind you."

"Yeah," he said, sitting down beside her. "But five months without you felt like a lifetime, snuggle bear."

"Oh," Coyly, Donna smiled and then giggled. She was flattered. "Well, then. I guess," she glanced at Brooke. "I guess it's ok then." The redhead leaned over and hugged the man she'd missed so long ago. And behind her, Kelso winked at Eric and gave him a sly thumbs-up, receiving a relayed wink in return.

Just then, Hyde walked in, dressed to the hilt in his nicest suit. "Hey. You guys ready?"

"Oh, wow, Hyde," Donna pulled away from Eric, and jutted out her bottom lip. "You look really nice. And no, we're still waiting for…"

"Hey! You guys!" came from behind Hyde as Jackie bounced in through the basement door. "You guys ready?"

"Wait?" Donna looked between them. "Did you two come together?" Jackie and Hyde only looked at each other. No answer left their lips until Fez sauntered up condescendingly, remembering their strange activities from the night before.

"Yes, that is an interesting question Donna has asked._"_

Smartly, Hyde made no concerned expression as the foreigner circled him. "Not really, Fez. Jackie pulled up right behind me."

"Uh, huh," Fez replied coolly, "I see," and stopped, a glare set on his curly-haired friend. "Okay, that makes sense. But just know…I am watching you."

"Whatever, man," Hyde sneered and walked over to his seat to sit down. As he did, though, a loud shriek pierced the entire group's ears.

"Oh, Donna! You're wearing a dress!" Jackie exclaimed, shuffling over to her friend where she fluffed and primped her gussied up companion. "Oh my God, you look like a girl!"

"Yeah, you know, I've been one for twenty-five years now, Jackei" Donna said sardonically.

With a truly amazed smile, the small brunette shook her head. "You would _never_ know!"

Accustomed to the backhanded insults, Donna rolled her eyes away and ignored the oblivious girl beside her. "So, uh, Hyde. I see you didn't shave like I asked."

"Hey," he snapped, "nobody tells me when to shave." He looked at Jackie. "_Nobody._ I'm taking the week off."

"Aw," Donna pouted, unable to help herself as she walked over to him and pinched his cheeks. "Look at the little tough guy, being all defiant while his girlfriend's away."

Irritated, Hyde yanked himself from her grasp. "Whatever. So you guys ready or what?" Then suddenly, as he looked around the room, it hit him. He hadn't noticed before, but behind the couch, in a red leather jacket, a white glove and aviator shades stood Fez. "Man, what the hell is Fez wearing?"

"You're just _now_ noticing?" Eric said.

Scowling, Hyde folded his arms as Fez strutted out into the middle of the room and modeled his 'Beat it' threads. "Yeah. I'm not going with him dressed like that."

"Yeah, Amy," Jackie snarled from over by the deepfreeze. "What are you doing letting him of the house like that?"

"What?" Amy frowned, though it changed quickly into a small chuckle when she looked at her boyfriend. "I think he looks kinda cute."

Kelso finally spoke up. "You better marry her, man."

Placing his arm over his girl's shoulder, Fez waved them all off. "You just watch. I am going to be the hit of the wedding."

Eric shook his head. "The point is to blend in, Fez, not…" He looked around and laughed. "… moonwalk in."

"Yeah, we can't bring too much attention to ourselves," Brooke worried.

"Come on, Brooke," Eric pointed at his misfit band of friends, "Look around this room; we all know that _that's_ not gonna happen."

Taking a few steps toward Hyde's chair, Jackie scoffed as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "You got that right. My doctor husband and I are going to so be the admiration of all those single skanks hoping to catch the bouquet. Come on, honey."

"Uh, yes, dear." Hyde stood up and looked around. "Come on, let's go." Without another word, the entire gang gathered their coats and headed out into the cold November day.

"Oh, man," Donna was getting excited and grabbed Eric's hand. "I want an alias now."

Eric smiled and looked around cunningly. "Come on, we'll think of something to beat Jackie and Hyde along the way…"

* * *

Kenosha Howard Johnson Hotel  
Banquet Hall Parking Lot

The Krakowski-Robinowski Wedding

Here, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the November sky churned a bright shade of gray, reveling with energy, as three cars rolled up and parked all in a row—a light blue '83 Dodge minivan, a black '68 el Camino, and a white '77 Dodge Charger. From them, popped out the gang from Point Place, all dressed finer than they had ever been before, each grown in their own right and looking dapper on this cloudy fall afternoon…

With an arrogant affect, their leader Eric Forman raised his chin and straightened his tie, primping as he swaggered up to the other three men. "Alright, fellas. Let's go show these Kenoshites what they're breedin' out in Point Place." All four gave a cool nod.

Nearby, Jackie fixed the pins in Donna's curled hair and looked pointedly at her three girlfriends, as serious as she'd ever been. "Alright, this is it, girls. It's finally time to show these ex-Kenosha-High-_bitches_ up." With raised eyebrows and heads held high, all four women nodded and pranced—hips swaying—straight over to their dates.

Lightening flashed above as all eight came together in pairs. Ominously, Eric looked around the ill-formed circle of misfits. "Everyone got their aliases?" Every couple nodded. "And remember, this is every man for himself. The moment we step through those doors, I don't know a single one of you."

Hyde scoffed and grabbed Jackie's hand, ready to go. "Easy, man. I've been trying to pretend I don't know you guys for years."

"So who's going first?" Brooke asked warily, still feeling as if they were doing something wrong.

From inside the banquet hall, the bass guitar riff to 'Billie Jean' began to pump louder and louder, mixing with a beat that made Fez's feet begin to tap as he felt the groove.

"I will go," Fez volunteered stoically. "I will distract them all with my moves."

Amy winked. "Let's go, baby."

The foreigner grinned and turned back to his friends. "Watch and learn, bitches..."

…Fez and Amy…

The rest of the gang watched on as Fez—dressed in all his Michael Jackson glory—linked arms with his girlfriend and led her toward the party, moving like a cool cat on the prowl. No fear in his step…

_She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene  
I said don't mind, but what do you mean I am the one  
Who will dance on the floor in the round…_

Once inside, the pair was greeted by a handsomely dressed older gentleman with a hospitable smile. "Welcome to the Krakowski-Robinowski reception. Would you like to sign the guest book?"

Excited, Amy shrugged her shoulders and scrunched her nose. "Sure!"

Beside her, Fez put on a smoldering stare and shifted his feet and hands in a brilliant King of Pop impersonation before extending his hand to the gentleman. "Jackson…_Fez_ Jackson." As they shook, the man frowned and looked over the foreigner's rather explosive outfit.

_People always told me be careful of what you do  
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts_

"Well, welcome Mr. Jackson." He shifted his gaze to Amy. "Mrs. Jackson, I presume?"

Amy gave a huge smile and stretched out her arm as well. "That's right. But you can just call me Billie Jean. It's nice to meet you. The wedding was beautiful."

Fez smiled slyly. "Yes. Yes, my dear. It certainly was a 'Thriller.' Wouldn't you say?" Obnoxiously, the pair laughed and waved off the joke, strolling away toward the dance floor, moving together to the music as the gentleman glanced down at the last guestbook entry.

_Fez and Billie Jean Jackson…_

… Jackie and Hyde …

_Billie Jean is not my lover  
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one_

"Come on, babe. Let's hit it," Hyde conveyed with confidence, hooking his arm around Jackie's waist as she did the same with a proud smile.

"Lead the way, Doctor."

_  
But the kid is not my son  
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son_

The rest of the gang looked on as the well-dressed Dr. and his Mrs. strutted off behind the trail of Fez and Billie Jean. With curious intrigue, though, Donna puckered her brow the moment they stepped though the double glass doors, swearing that she saw the good doctor goose his ex-girlfriend…

"Welcome to the Krakowsi-Robinowski reception. Would you like to sign the guestbook?"

"Of course," Jackie responded elegantly with a slight curtsey as she bent to write. "By the way, I'm Alexis and this is my husband, Jim." She winked through her smirk. "He's a doctor."

The man looked impressed with the young doctor. "Oh, a pleasure, Dr. uh…"

"Hendrix," Hyde finished for him with a pleased grin.

_For forty days and forty nights  
The law was on her side  
But who can stand when she's in demand  
Her schemes and plans_

He bowed slightly at Hyde. "Well, welcome Dr." Then at Jackie. "Mrs."

The brunette's jaw dropped, as a pout began to take over her envious face. "Dr. and Mrs… Oh, Steven, did you hear that? You know, if we had just…"

Hyde laughed nervously and pushed her toward the door, sending the brunette flying into the party. "Time to get some liquor in you, darling," he called after her as he grinned at the man and thumbed in her direction. "Alcoholics, huh? Make skanky bed-partners, though, am I right, Jeeves," Hyde chuckled, his tongue slung out as he slapped the horrified man on the arm and headed off into the party.

The man looked down.

_Dr. and Mrs. Jimi Hendrix…_

…Eric and Donna …

_People always told me be careful of what you do  
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts_

"You ready, gorgeous?" Eric asked his fiancée as she slipped her arm in his.

"Yeah, but you haven't told me your plan, yet."

"If we're meant to be, Donna, you'll catch right on."

The last remaining couple watched as Eric and Donna made their way toward the double glass doors, ready to make their own play for glory…

"Welcome to the Krakowsi-Robinowski reception. Would you like to sign the guestbook?"

"Why of course, young sir," Eric responded pompously, extending his hand. "The name's Luke, by the way. Glad to meet ya."

As it all hit her, Donna's entire body stiffened. Immediately, the tall redhead rolled her eyes and glared over at her man.

"Luke? Of all the things…_Luke?"_

_She came and stood right by me  
Then the smell of sweet perfume  
This happened much too soon  
She called me to her room_

Nervously, Eric glanced from the greeter to his angry girlfriend and smiled. "And my wife here, my one and only, my true love that I will wash the dishes for tonight's name is…"

With revenge in her green eyes, Donna shifted her sights over to the gentleman in black. "Leah," she grumbled through clenched teeth and a smile. "Leah _Pinciotti._ Nice to meet you."

Eric shrugged. "Eh, close enough," he muttered as he signed the guestbook and tossed the gentleman two bits as he followed his lady inside.

_Mr. and Mrs. Luke Pinciotti…_

…Kelso and Brooke…

_Billie Jean is not my lover  
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one  
But the kid is not my son…_

"I'm scared, Michael."

"Don't be, baby," Kelso told her soothingly, his arm hooking around her waist. "We're not gonna be like any of those guys with their stupid names."

"But Michael. Our names are kind of…"

Adamantly, Kelso shook his head. "I said don't worry, baby. You're with the master. I've done this a hundred times. I know what I'm doing…"

_Billie Jean is not my lover (she is just a girl)  
Billie Jean is not my lover (she is just a girl)_

"Welcome to the Krakowsi-Robinowski reception. Would you like to sign the guestbook?"

Kelso grinned and held out his hand. "Senator Presley. Nice to me you, kind sir."

The old man narrowed his already beady eyes._ "Senator_ Presley, huh? What legislature?" he queried suspiciously.

At such blatant disrespect, Kelso became flustered and a little pissed off. "What do a bunch of books have to do with anything here!? I'm a senator for God's sake! Where's your manager?" The offended senator grabbed his wife's hand and dragged her into the reception as he glowered over the man who dare question him. "Come on, Priscilla. Let's get outta here…"

_Billie Jean is not my lover  
Billie Jean is not my lover…_

* * *

One Hour Later…

'Waiting for a Girl Like You' by Foreigner is playing loudly over the speaker system.

Jadedly, the entire group from Point Place sat around a circular table that they had confiscated from some drunkards from the bride's side of the family. No one had noticed them so far, no one had said a word. It was a successful crash in technical terms, but there was one problem…

With a huff, Kelso sat back in his seat. "Man, what a jip this reception turned out to be. Two drink maximum. What retard has a maximum at an open bar?"

Directly across from the grumbling police officer sat Donna, who was reading over a small program, displayed at all the tables. "Well according to this, all the money from the alcohol sales goes to pay for their daughter's doctor's bills."

"Bills schmills," Fez groused, a sour-puss expression on his face as Amy lightly backhanded him. "Ow. What? Damn. I want my free booze like Hyde promised."

"Yeah, I'm bored, you guys," Jackie added.

Hyde threw down his napkin. "Yeah, let's get outta here, man. I've been sober for way too long. It's coming up on," Looking at his watch, he grimaced painfully, "Augh! Sixteen hours."

From across the table, Amy continued to playfully pat at her boyfriend for being such a jerk, swatting him cheeks until his sunglasses accidentally fell to the floor. "Look what you are doing, woman!"

She only laughed, though, as he bent down and reached below the table to grab his aviators. He found them immediately and was about to sit back up when something interesting caught his eye. Straight ahead on the other side of the table, a girl's dress was pushed up her thighs while a man's hand gently rubbed and squeezed at her flesh. Fez frowned. "What the…" Was it Eric and Donna? She looked too small to be Donna.

Poking his eyes above the table, Fez looked but it didn't seem right. Hyde and Jackie were on the other side of the table. So he bent down again to look.

"Fez, what are doing?" Amy asked, only to find herself yanked down with him below the table. "Hey, what the hell is up with you right now?"

"Look," he pointed sternly. "Over there." It was hard for her to make out but there was definitely some under-the-table mischief going on. "Who is that?" Fez asked her. "Because," he pointed up as Amy shook her head in confusion. "It doesn't match."

"What do you mean, it doesn't match?"

Together, the couple peered over the table at the faces that matched those legs and hands. Hyde was casually talking to Eric at his right while Jackie laughed with Brooke at her left. Sharing a strange look, Fez and Amy ducked back down and gawked at the activity going on below everyone's noses. It was them all right.

Moments later, Jackie's small hand began to play with Hyde's until they interlaced their fingers and played some more, thumb swirling around thumb, fingers duck-diving below fingers.

At that, Fez looked at Amy and gestured that they should sit up. Quickly, they did, still unnoticed. "I don't get it," Amy began as the two huddled together in secrecy. "Did Hyde and Jessica break up?"

Fez shrugged. "How should I know?"

"Well, I don't think they did 'cause Jessica would have called me. And Jackie was just talking about Colin."

"Well, maybe Jackie hurt her leg and he was just…you know, massaging it for her?"

"Fez, if you massaged someone like that, that wasn't me, I'd kick your ass."

"Good point. Damn, they are doing it…"

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later…

The Ramada Inn Parking Lot – The Brown/Jackson Wedding

Looking around at his friends, Hyde grabbed Jackie's hand and pulled her back until she was standing beside him. "Yeah, I kinda got a funny feeling about this one. Me and Jackie are going last."

"Oh, don't be such a chicken, Hyde," Kelso derided as he moseyed around the pair and turned to face his friend. "You know, it's like the older you get, the _softer_ you get."

Hyde stepped forward into Kelso's face, his hand still with Jackie. "And you're still just as dumb as the day I met you."

"Well, at least I'm consistent," the taller man countered as he pointed into the reception hall without taking his taunting eyes off of Hyde. "Fez, since Hyde is being such a _wussy_, you go first this time."

Fez grimaced. "But I went first last time."

"Exactly," Kelso responded, making the foreigner frown in confusion as his girlfriend shook her head. Pleased, Hyde smirked with his tall friend as Fez and Amy took off again for the second reception of the day. He and Kelso had both seen the patrons walking in as they pulled up and knew already that they weren't going to blend in.

Eric walked over. "You know it's only black people in there right?"

"Oh, yeah," Hyde answered with a nod as he chuckled with Kelso.

"Steven," Jackie scolded. "He's going in there dressed like Michael Jackson."

"That's the point, Jackie," Kelso scoffed. "God."

Donna shook her head as a smile fought to get past her lips. "You guys are terr…"

"RUN!!" an accented voice screamed out as a girl laughed ahead of it. "GO!! GO!! Start the cars, you sons of bitches!" Everyone looked over to see Fez and Amy dashing toward them with several black men in tuxedo walking briskly on their tails. "Move!"

In all the chaos, people scattered and Hyde lost hold of Jackie's hand. He spun around to see her being whisked into the van by Brooke. Her gaze remained on him, though, eyes fixed as the door slid shut and locked her inside.

"Hyde!" Fez yelled out, moving quickly to push his laughing girlfriend into the el Camino. "Start the car."

"God damn it," Hyde grumbled as he got inside and started his car, peeling out first since he carried the focus of the aggression marching toward them. "What the hell did you do, man?"

"Uh," the foreigner was out of breath as he spoke. "I, uh, I sort of…"

Amy giggled. "He called them all whores when they wouldn't let us in."

Impressed, Hyde grinned. "Awesome."

* * *

Fifteen Minutes Later – 5:02 p.m.

The Carter Plaza Parking Lot

Manning/Freeman Wedding

Inside the van, deep in the farthest backseat, Brooke and Jackie spoke in whispers as Kelso pulled up behind Hyde's car.

"I can't help it, Brooke," Jackie whispered tearfully as Brooke wiped the saline from her friend's cheeks. "And don't you dare judge me."

Brooke shook her head. "I am_ not_ judging you. I'm worried about you, Jackie," the mother of two explained leaning down to catch the line of her best friend's sight. "What happens when Colin gets back, huh? Or Jessica. Are you gonna be able to just stop? And if you can't…"

"I can," Jackie interjected.

"And _if_ you can't," Brooke continued more insistently. "…you have to consider the fact that he's probably not going to leave her. And even if he does, Jackie…He's still…Hyde."

Mis-matched eyes widened in anger. "You know, everyone's always putting him down. And I love that you and Kevin and Michael want to stick up for me but…Steven was a good boyfriend, okay. No one seems to get that. In private, we were so in love, Brooke." She wiped her own tears away as Brooke helped. "He just… I don't…I don't know what happened to him."

A deep breath allowed Brooke to reframe her argument. If she had learned anything about Jackie, it was that you had to just tell her like it is. "I'm not putting him down, Jackie. I see that he's different, okay, but it doesn't change the fact that he's _not yours_…Not anymore."

"I know that. And it's ok. I don't want another relationship with him, Brooke. I just wanna be…He…" Jackie took a deep breath. "I missed him, Brooke. I never realized how much until now. I just wanna be with him a little. That's all. "

Sighing in defeat, Brooke hugged her friend, taking note of a certain guy walking hesitantly toward the van door. "Ok. Ok. Shh. Here he comes."

Urgently, Jackie pulled back, needing to say one final thing to her friend before the door slid open. "You know, he missed me, too, Brooke."

Understanding, Brooke nodded. "Alright," she said, giving in to the desperation in Jackie's eyes, needing her to understand. "Ok. Just…Be careful. You two are seriously terrible at sneaking around."

Through her tears, Jackie laughed, and then, putting an abrupt end to their discussion, the slider door was opened by the oblivious subject matter, who wore a slight smile for his date. "Hey."

Even more worried than before, Brooke watched as Jackie lunged at the man that had once broken her into a million pieces, feigning helplessness so he could hug her and lift her out without curious minds wondering why. But much longer than seemed necessary, the two held their embrace and fought through another urge to join lips. Sadly, they were more apparent than they believed. Thankfully, though, no one was paying any mind. God, no one ever seemed to be, Brooke noticed as she looked around. The pair had been left alone in their whirlwind for a week now, hearts gone unchecked by those who had invested so much in them. But Brooke's intelligent brain, ripe with experience, knew that it was only a matter of time before Hyde would unintentionally shatter her again, having no idea of the unfathomable depths at which he was loved…

* * *

A Couple of Minutes Later…

All eight twenty-somethings stood in a row, staring up at the white, gothic façade of the Carter Center Conference Hall. It loomed ominous as all ten of its stories seemed to pulse with the music that wafted from inside. Each one could practically taste the intoxication that was on its way. And with a rebel yell, Billy Idol and the party-goers who danced inside taunted and pushed them, daring the mischievous intruders to join in their drunken revelry.

…_In the midnight hour, she cried-  
"MORE, MORE, MORE!"  
With a rebel yell, she cried-  
"MORE, MORE, MORE!"_

Everybody looked nervous except for Kelso and Hyde, who only grinned, accepting the enthusiastic challenge. "I think I'm gonna like these people," Hyde nodded to no one in particular and turned to his date with a low voice. "You comin' with me?"

_In the midnight hour, babe  
"MORE, MORE, MORE!"  
With a rebel yell  
"MORE, MORE, MORE!"_

Biting back her bottom lip, Jackie gritted her eyelids and smirked. "Of course." And there it was; another thing that she had missed about him: that mischievous glint in his eyes. That rebellious rise in the corner of his mouth that told her he was up to no good.

Hyde grabbed her hand, "Come on," and led her toward the party, leaving the rest of the group to come alive, too, as the pair headed for all the commotion.

"_MORE, MORE, MORE!"_

With a glare of insolence, Eric snarled his upper lip and nodded. "Yeah. I'm with Hyde on this one. Screw it. Let's go, gang!"

"They can't bust us all," Donna reasoned as Hyde shoved open the two glass doors that stood between them and all that free booze.

_She don't like slavery  
She won't sit and beg  
But when I'm tired and lonely  
She sees me to bed_

Arrogantly, Hyde draped his arm over Jackie's slim shoulder as they strutted down the main hall, heading toward all the noise. That was the key, he decided. Fuck all the fake name bullshit. Walk in like you own the place. Walk in like you're supposed to be there and, by a single look, defy anyone to question you. That's how you crash a fucking party.

_What set you free  
And brought you to me, babe?  
What set you free?  
I need you here by me!_

By the banquet room doors stood a sign that read: The Manning/Freeman Reception. And by the sign stood a young woman, at whom Hyde only raised his chin and winked self-importantly. Laughing at her ex-boyfriend's audaciousness, Jackie tightened her embrace around his waist and flipped her hair, joining him as the woman smiled and opened the door to reveal one hell of a celebration.

_Because! In the midnight hour, she cried-  
"MORE, MORE, MORE!"  
With a rebel yell, she cried-  
"MORE, MORE, MORE!"_

Nodding his approval, Hyde grinned at the veritable nightclub that they just had stepped into, his friends standing in awe behind him. "Now this is my kind of party," he told them.

"Viva la free booze!" Kelso screamed out, taking Brooke's hand and pushing past everyone to carry her off toward the bar. "Wahoo!"

_In the midnight hour, babe  
"MORE, MORE, MORE!"  
With a rebel yell  
"MORE, MORE, MORE!"_

As lights flashed around him in faint orbs, illuminating the unlit bash, Hyde felt Jackie tug his body to the right. At the same time, the rest of the gang was dispersing. Fez was dragging his girlfriend toward the dance floor while Eric and Donna made a beeline for the grandiose blue-lit bar on the other side of the large reception hall, leaving the sinful pair alone in the dark.

"What's up," Hyde asked the small brunette as she backed herself into a wall, bringing him with her. Her mouth opened, but no answer left her cherry lips. Instead, he felt both her hands slap against the sides of his face, stinging his cheeks as her insistent tongue invaded his mouth. His fingers landed on her tiny hips, and just as herhands had, the truth of it all smacked him right in the face. She wanted him, too. She was craving him the way he was craving her. He wasn't just imagining it.

Their lips moved frantically together, tongues penetrating deep between each smack of their desperate mouths. "Fuck, Jackie," he managed within a much needed breath. "You fucking pick now to make out?"

Her hips popped away from the wall to grind against him, giving him ample space to squeeze her ass. "I'm not mad at you anymore," she whimpered into their kiss.

God, fuck, he was close to whimpering, too. Between her pelvic thrusts and the wet, Strawberry Bubbalicious flavored muscle that she was teasing him with; Hyde found that his weakened mind was beginning to gradually sink southward.

"Oh shit. Come on," he insisted and yanked her away from the wall, pulling her into the crowd to let the dancing bodies shelter them from discovery. Pushing his way through, Hyde reached the center and stopped, wrenching her body flush against his as he started to slowly sway her. She smiled.

"It's like Halloween," she reminded him. He didn't say anything, though. He only gave her a tiny smile and rocked her gently.

If they meant to blend in, they were failing. Moving two beats behind the crowd, Jackie and Hyde were too busy staring at each other's mouths, wondering if they could, if they could really get away with it.

Suspiciously, Hyde glanced around as her cheek touched his. Fez and Amy were giggling at each other nearby and Kelso was pulling Brooke toward them. Neither couple was paying attention but one look and Hyde knew that he and Jackie would be busted. "This fucking sucks."

"I know," Jackie swallowed, her mouth struggling to keep from diving at his. It was so close. His lips and breath were warming her ear, making her delirious with want.

"Stop breathing on me like that," she heard him whisper into the heated appendage.

"I can't help it."

Hyde clenched his eyes shut as she exhaled again. "Damn it. I told you we should've made out earlier. But you just had to play games with me."

Jackie wrinkled her brow. "I wasn't playing games, you idiot. I was really mad at you."

"And I told you that I was sorry."

"I know," Jackie pouted, a wry smile sweetening her face, "and, see; now I'm not mad at you anymore."

"Yeah. Great," he grumbled. "But now we're stuck out in public, Jackie. And I'm pretty sure that means we're not gonna be doing_ it_ anytime soon."

With a loving pout, Jackie leaned back and set her eyes on him. "Aw. Steven. You wanna do it with me?"

He smirked, happy with the expression on her face. It always meant she was pleased with him. "Yeah."

Coyly, Jackie tucked her bottom lip behind her teeth and smiled. "Kiss me."

"Jackie..."

"A quick one," she explained, finding his soft spot with a pleading pout. "Pwease. I_ really_ need a kiss, Steven." Swiftly, she leaned in and whispered something more persuasive into his ear, "I wanna taste you," and leaned back again.

"Oh, God," Hyde muttered, staring at her waiting mouth, also finding himself turned on by the prospect of getting caught, at the risk of it all. "Okay." He looked around. "Get ready." Smiling gleefully, Jackie waited for him to locate their friends and determine that there was, in fact, a brief window of opportunity that was showing itself. "One…" He glanced at her. Her lips were parted and ready. "Two… Kiss me good…and that means tongue…" She giggled in anticipation. Just to be sure, his eyes made one more sweep around the room, "…Three!"

* * *

… Some Time Later …

"Oh, crap! Run!"

Laughing as her little legs scrambled behind his, Jackie let Hyde pull her behind the DJ booth and draw her cheeks in for another kiss. His fingers lay tenderly over her ears, the feeling carrying her far beyond the world around them. Every moment that passed with him meant another piece of her heart being taken away from the man she loved. It scared her, but Hyde was earning every bit of it with his furtive kisses, so tender and full of passion. She couldn't remember him ever being this way, so focused on her, so committed to her lips. It made Jackie wonder for just how long had he loved her for…

Urgently, she separated her mouth from his. "Steven?"

He looked high. "Huh?"

"That night, with Chris, when you asked if we could…"

His drowsy eyes left hers and widened at the sight of Donna getting closer. "Man, what the hell? We gotta move…"

* * *

… Some More Time Later …

"Jackie," Hyde whispered as he took a few careful steps. "Where'd you go?"

To answer his question, a small hand reached out and wrapped around his tie, jerking his body in the dark behind a tall plant. Without hesitation, his mouth met hers and yet another secret kiss was realized after ten minutes of concealed planning. They had both announced trips to the restroom, two minutes apart, and though they were pushing their luck, Hyde couldn't bring himself to stop. Her kisses pushed so deep inside of him, far past the licentiousness of his flesh. It was a fucked up feeling, knowing that you were falling for someone but being too immobilized to stop yourself from doing it. He wished it would just quit, just go the fuck away and leave him alone. But it wouldn't. He was trapped, stuck wanting her, beginning to need more, spiraling completely out of control.

Hyde grabbed her head and gave her a fervent kiss, pulling away quickly. "We gotta go…"

* * *

… A Minute Later …

5:41 p.m.

"To Leo!" Kelso shouted, raising his shot glass high into the air. It was filled with the amber liquid of the night, putting smiles all around the table, while the others raised their arms as well.

"To Leo!" six toasted, two being absent from the group.

With a wiggle, Donna shut her eyes and took her shot, wincing as it burned down her throat. "Agh! So where the hell are Jackie and Hyde now?" she asked everyone. "I swear they keep disappearing."

Brooke glanced at Eric. "I think Jackie went to the…" The grumble of a man clearing his throat interrupted her, causing the brunette to look to her right as Hyde sat down and looked around casually.

"What's up? Where are my shots?"

"Right there," Donna pointed to a small tray in front of Eric. There was no hesitation. The thirsty Hyde grabbed two of them and immediately shot them both back. With peaked eyebrows, the redhead watched him take a third, and then a fourth, waiting until he set his glass down and looked at her to speak.

"What?" he sneered, wondering why he was being watched.

"Where's Jackie?"

"How the hell should I know?" Hyde responded nastily. "I don't keep track of where she goes."

Donna frowned at his insolence. "Fine. I just figured you might know, okay? You don't need to be a complete ass about it." Annoyed, Hyde rolled his eyes away and reached for another shot.

"Hey, you guys!" Jackie's perky voice called out as she approached the table and sat in the empty seat next to Hyde. "What's going on?"

Handing her friend her shot, Donna frowned. "Where'd you go?"

"To powder my nose," Jackie answered promptly, taking the drink from her. "You should try it sometime, Donna. I can practically see my reflection in your forehead." Tossing her head back, the impudent brunette gulped down the Jack Daniels like a pro and smiled at Donna's forehead, nodding happily. "I look really pretty by the way."

Hyde grinned at the irritated redhead. "See, now aren't you sorry she didn't _stay_ gone?"

The offended brunette glared at him. "Oh, would you shut up, Hyde."

"You shut up," he grimaced.

"Make me… Jerk!"

With a disgusted scowl, Hyde blew out his retort. "Wench."

The rest of the group looked on as the bickering pair stared each other down and then seemed to get over it when they looked away. A few minutes passed in which Fez told his tale of the black guys who didn't believe that he was really a back-up dancer and distant cousin to Michael Jackson. But when 'Heaven' by Bryan Adams began to play over the large speakers situated throughout the room, Jackie sat up straight in her seat and pushed Hyde with a giant smile on her face.

"Oh! I love this song! Hyde, you have to dance with me!"

_Oh, thinkin' about all our younger years  
There was only you and me  
We were young and wild and free_

But, of course, her defiant ass of an ex-boyfriend made a face at her. "I don't have to do anything, Jackie. I'm happy right here. But you go knock yourself out," he said, smiling triumphantly at Eric. "Ow!" he yelled, turning back to Jackie as he leaned down and grabbed his ankle. "What the fuck are you kicking me for?!"

Jackie pushed him again. "Because! I'm your date and I wanna dance! So get off your ass and dance."

"No!" he defied her and bent down again. "Ow! God damn it, Jackie!"

_Now nothin' can take you away from me  
We've been down that road before  
But that's over now  
You keep me comin' back for more_

"I'll leave your shins alone if you dance," she promised with a look on her face that told everyone watching that she wasn't going to be giving up anytime soon.

"Fine," he growled and stood up as the persistent brunette started to flounce off toward the dance floor. Hyde turned to his friends at the table. "If she disappears again, don't bother looking. She'll be a shallow grave outside," Hyde grinned wickedly, "but I'll be long gone."

_Baby, you're all that I want  
When you're lyin' here in my arms  
I'm findin' it hard to believe  
We're in heaven…_

Donna watched him walk away and gave a relieved smile. "Well, it's nice to see things finally back to normal," she told everyone. "They've been being all…_pleasant_ with each other and it was really starting to freak me out."

"You're telling me," Kelso added. "Earlier, Jackie said she wanted some punch and Hyde, like…got her a cup of punch." He scoffed. "Now that's just not right..."

_And love is all that I need  
And I found it there in your heart  
It isn't too hard to see  
We're in heaven_

Thirty feet away from the gang, vanished inside the crowd, Hyde gave Jackie a slight smile and reeled her toward him. Taking her hand, he tucked it close to his chest and began to rock her to the slow beat.

"Do you think they bought it," she asked him worriedly, her free hand wringing at the material covering his upper arm.

"Hey, if Donna bought it then the rest of the Rascals bought it," he reasoned. And at that, Jackie smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. He always sounded so confident. So in control. Whether he was or not didn't matter. They were dancing. And though, they weren't exactly alone, it felt like they were to her as he swayed her body soothingly from side to side.

_And baby, you're all that I want  
When you're lyin' here in my arms  
I'm findin' it hard to believe  
We're in heaven…_

"I'm ready to go, Steven." Jackie raised her head, wanting him to see her plea. Focusing on his eyes, she strained to see through him, trying to let him in to see through her. "I wanna be alone…I'm ready again."

Hyde swallowed and she knew, as he stared back at her, he could see. "Okay…"

"One, two, three!" the gang shouted, their fists pumping, before, like a wave, they all gulped down their shots and laughed. Eric finished last.

"Is it just me," he slurred loudly to his fiance, "or this boat rocking harder than before?"

Donna laughed. "We're not on the boat anymore, dummy. That was last week."

"I know, it's crazy," he replied, shaking his head as he took another guzzle of his beer. As she frowned at him, Hyde and Jackie stepped up behind Kelso and Brooke.

"Uh…Jackie's feeling sick." He stuck out his thumb as the brunette beside him nodded and pouted with the feigned affect of an ill girl. "So, I'm just gonna…you know…I'm just gonna drop her off at home."

"Jackie, what's the matter?" Donna asked her while, beside _her_, Amy and Fez shared an intrigued look, not buying their excuse for a second.

"Oh, I think it's just all this cheap wedding catering." She turned to an unsympathetic looking Brooke, who had her arms folded. "At least you know who not to choose." Jackie cringed at the irritated look on her friend's face.

Nudging his partner-in-lies away, Hyde nodded. "Well, we'll catch you guys later."

"Wait. Hyde," Eric straightened up, "Are you coming back or what?"

"What?" A shake of his head and Hyde pointed to his ears. "I can't…I can't hear you!" he shouted over the not-that-loud music and took off with Jackie in tow.

"But…" Kelso looked at Donna. "Can I have his shots?"

xxxxx

Through the dancing crowd, Hyde walked, his attention lying squarely on the exit as he squeezed Jackie's hand, making sure she was still with him. Before she changed her mind, or saw through him and found herself there, he needed to get her home.

As they approached the exit, double glass doors flew wide open, letting in the excited wind that served to announce the night's impending storm. It blew back the fleeing pair as they crossed the threshold out into the blustering, but colorful, late fall afternoon. Her hand still safe in Hyde's, Jackie's eyes breathed wide open, her lips parting in pure wonder. It was surreal—the dream-lit sky, the storm, the moment, him, all of it.

Like a painting churning to life, leaves of brown, orange, and red swirled around through the air in front of them. It was as if the earth was waking up to celebrate the shower it was about to recieve. Foliage rose and fell in mid-air, mating to create shapes against each other, circling and making love until they found another to birth new forms with in their vibrant unions. Feathers danced with twigs, bedding them with lift and giving the small sticks the wings they needed to fly.

In the middle of it all stood Jackie and Hyde, motionless and watching as it all transpired around them. To their right, the breast of the setting sun, visible in the west and unhindered by clouds, shone brightly behind a sky tinted in pinks and purples, illuminating the thick sheets of rain that finally began to fall.

Hyde looked over at Jackie and then up to the sherbet sky before settling on the moving bodies around them. Only he and Jackie remained still. Everyone else was running for shelter as the clouds opened up to wash the sinful world clean. Hyde heard a scream and laughed as the rainwater startled the pretty girl at his side, making her cling to his arms as she sought shelter beside his body.

"Steven! It's freezing!"

His vision blurred while raindrops stung and beat on his face. He shut them. "Crap! Let's get outta here!" he yelled over the sudden downpour and pulled her to run with him while she shrieked and screamed as water filled her heels and flattened her hair. "You gotta run faster, Jackie!"

"I can't!"

Up ahead, on the other side of the lot, was his car, and he could have run a whole lot faster, made it through the rain in less time, but her smaller legs kept him at a slower pace, holding them in its cleansing shower. Her slippery little hand gripped his and a rush of heat warmed his previous sensibilities about her. God, it was getting worse.

They reached his car and he let her inside.

With trusting eyes, Jackie looked up at him, her soaked body shaking as she hugged herself. "Turn on the heat." Quickly, he nodded but as he walked around the trunk of his car, a rage filled him.

"Damn it!" The heater fan had blown its fuse and he hadn't replaced it yet. He got in. "The heat doesn't work," he told her, watching as her teeth chattered, letting her breath seep through for him to see and feel guilt over. "Hang on. I can get to my place in ten minutes." He started the engine. "Put your seatbelt on…"

The drive to his apartment felt like an eternity and the cold was starting to reach him, too. Fuck, it was cold. It was freezing and his chest was starting to hurt from the shivering.

"Steven?" He looked over. "Your teeth are chattering," she giggled while hers did the same, her usually pink lips now a deathly shade of purple. He smiled though his trembling jaw.

"Your lips are purple," he informed her. She only whimpered and nodded.

"Yours, too."

Not but ten minutes later, they were back in Point Place, shaking in their seats and staring through the cold rain to his apartment door. "You ready?" he asked and received an uncoordinated nod as she started to cry. "Run as fast as you…Jackie." His grin turned into concern. "Come on. We're almost there."

"I know. My wh-whole body just h-hurts."

"Alright," he said and got out, running around to her side to open the door. He yanked her out and slammed the door shut, towing her with him while she jogged as quickly as she could through the storm. Looking back at her, seeing her shake and shiver, her lips near blue and her face turned down in discomfort, Hyde finally understood the nature of his attachment to her.

In all their years spent miles away from each other, with all the women he had laid beneath him in her place, through all the hurt he had dished out to relive his pain, she was always the one he thought of late at night, wanting to protect, to fix things for, to make feel comfortable, to lay beneath him. At one time, it had bothered him how much he loved her. It had made him angry, made him hate her even. But tonight, all he could so was think about how much he liked her. She was being so damn quiet. And she only smiled as he stared at her.

God, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Wha-what?" she stuttered through her convulsions, fighting to keep her smile. "Why are you staring at me?"

He shook his head and let her inside. "No reason." She ran in and he followed, slamming his back against the door to shut it. The apartment was like an icebox inside, and she, she stood before him in her icy dress, her skin pale and wet, her eyes flashing between his. "Here," he said, drawing her in for a hug. But they were like two ice cubes merging into one. No heat to give to the other.

"You're making me colder, Steven," she whimpered. He stepped back.

"Damn it, Jackie. You're like a God damn popsicle," he grumbled, growing angry at the pain in his body and the distress on her face. "Ok, I have an idea."

With an urgency that startled her, Hyde reached around her and unzipped her dress before yanking it down her body, causing her to yelp at the sudden drop in temperature. "What are you doing?!"

"Undressing you," was all he had to say as raised her quaking arms to the ceiling and peeled off her sodden slip, leaving her in only her underwear, quivering in the middle of his living room. Her arm came down right onto his coat and, to his surprise, she yanked it down over his shoulders and off his arms, tossing it aside before her numb fingers tried to work his buttons.

"I can't move my fingers, Steven!" she growled. "They're frozen!"

"Get my belt," he told her while he got his shirt off. Within a minute, thanks to her, his saturated socks and shoes and his drenched pants were completely off his body. They stood for a moment, dressed in only their underwear as they stared dumbly at each other. Implementing his plan, Hyde threw himself at her body in another hug.

Jackie tried her best to hug him back, but her muscles sat rigid beneath her skin, making it nearly impossible to move. "This was your brilliant plan?"

"No," he responded and scooped her chilly legs up around his waist. Catching on, she coiled every limb tightly around his body, burying her face in his neck to place hot, wet kisses on the cold, damp skin of his shoulder.

"Hang on." Kicking past the crap on the floor, Hyde hurriedly carried her trembling form into the small bathroom off of his bedroom. His mind was turning to ice but he kept enough mind to shut the door behind them. The last thing they needed was more cold air. Immediately, he moved to the shower, while, thankfully, Jackie clung to him like a baby monkey, allowing him to free his hand and twist the shower knob. A sharp hiss announced the steaming spray of water. "Almost there," she heard him say.

"Oh, God," she shouted in anticipation when he seated her on the countertop to un-strap her shoes. The thought of heat had her heart pumping with excitement. "Hurry, Steven."

With a stern look of determination, Hyde raised her foot to rest against his chest. But soon became frustrated with the tiny buckle that his frozen fingers struggled unlatch. "I'm trying, Jackie. Dammit! What the hell is wrong with this thing?"

"Here. I got it," she said and pulled them off her feet, wasting no time in reaching her arms out to him so he would get her down. Quickly, and once he had Jackie on her own two legs, Hyde slid her panties down her wet thighs and finally felt the blood in his body begin to heat up as it rushed down to his groin. Making it practically boil, her fingers tangled into his hair while she steadied herself and stepped out of the lacy material.

To him, time felt as frozen as their rigid bodies while his eyes traced over her body in the light, his hands planted firmly on the sides of her thighs. God, she was _perfect_. Closing his eyelids, he leaned in and kissed just above her knee, thrusting his tongue out as he began dragging it up her inner thigh.

From above, Jackie watched his ministrations on her flesh. "Oh, God, Steven," she whined. "Your mouth's so warm, baby." Drowsy with the small respite of heat that was making its way toward her aching core, Jackie let her eyes flutter shut and rolled her neck backward. A sharp pulse of life pumped into her dead body, making her fists clench at the wet curls clutched inside them.

The ceiling above her appeared to move in waves, bewitching her as her mouth fell open. His tongue had finally reached the highest crest of her inner thigh. And with a flint in her mind's eye, Jackie's frozen brain melted to relay the feeling of his hot tongue between her legs, lapping gently at her clit, his mouth clamping down around her. Like he had promised she would, she was forgetting all about the pain that tormented the rest of her body. Rolling her neck around to see him, she reveled in his closed eyes. He was so lost in what he was doing to her.

"Steven," she whispered to him.

And then his heat left her to move slowly up her abdomen, his arms wrapping possessively around her waist while tender kisses foraged a path all the way to the base of her breasts and stopped. She hugged his head, watching as he nuzzled his face into her sternum. "Steven, are you okay?"

With that her feet left the floor and she, once again, had her limbs wrapped around his body. "Hold on," he said and walked her a few steps. "You ready?"

She smiled, realizing that she was still frozen solid, still shivering in his arms. "Uh, huh." He stepped into the shower and shut the door, immediately bringing her body beneath the hot spray.

The hot water hit her and her entire body stiffened. "Oh my God! It's burning," she screamed.

"Just wait," he chattered, still freezing himself as he stood out in the breeze. She felt him bounce her up to get a better grip on her as the water began to finally work its magic. She felt a rush of heat surround her and it felt good. _Really_ good, she noticed. Shutting her eyes, Jackie placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned back into the warm blanket of water that he was offering, letting the hot liquid wash the cold from her hair and off her skin. It was similar to an orgasm. But so warm and comfortable. And at that moment, she couldn't ever recall feeling so much pleasure.

"Oh God," she moaned, her breathing intensifying from the incredible satisfaction. And when she didn't think it was possible to feel any better, she realized that even more pleasure was shooting through her entire body. There was a tug on her erect nipple and she straightened her head to confirm that Hyde had his lips on her breast and was sucking fervently on the small bud at its center. He was still shaking, though. "Steven. Turn around," she told him, wishing everything that she was feeling on him, too.

"You're done?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Get under the water, Steven." She could feel him quaking, still frozen, but where the water ran down and collected between them, where their naked bodies met, he was warm and hard and so ready to fill her. The desire in her body, now relaxed and tepid, began to collect there, too. They were both ready, she determined while Hyde spun them around, seeking warmth, too, as he positioned himself beneath the shower spray, gasping at the contrast of intense heat on his chilly skin.

"Ah! Ow! Fuck, it's hot!"

"Just wait," she told him, her hands holding his head to guide it under the water, letting her fingers wash away the cold from his hair. "Doesn't that feel good?"

"Oh," was all that left his lips. "Oh, God," He closed his eyes and bounced her up again, trying to keep his grip on her slippery body as his own finally began to come alive again.

Searching out more of what felt like smelted gold, Jackie tightened her hold around his shoulders and tucked her body into his, cuddling against him as streams of heat flowed down his flesh and onto hers. He drew his head forward and hugged her tightly, and, together, they stood, bodies slick and joined in the heat of one another, lost beneath the warmest feeling they had ever experienced.

And it was then that he realized that he still loved her, and how much he always had. No more was he screwed up, no more did he have to pretend; she was really here…

To Be Continued…

* * *

**A/N2:** Please do not forget the zenfic contest. All it is is a list of the top fifty JH fanfics. I'm not getting enough people voting, seriously, we need votes in order to continue. Just PM me your ten favorite stories and, if you want, go to fanforum dot com and check out the ZENMASTER's thread on the T7S page to see what stories have made it so far so that you do not waste your votes on those. PLEASE send me your votes, otherwise the contest will have to be canceled! Please help! Use the time you would have used for my review to jot down your ten faves and PM me. And don't feel as though you need to vote for any of mine just because I'm taking the votes. I do not offend. –smile- 


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Regret and Other Fucked Up Tales**

**A/N: **I know! I know! Don't even say it. I'll try not to let it happen again. This chapter was hard as hell to write, though. It's just a filler chapter in the sense that it's full of necessary, transitional stuff but it's not going to knock your socks off or anything. And keep in mind that I am NOT making this all up as I go. I have had this entire story in my head since last September and I'm just trying to tell it at the proper pace. But it's way harder than I thought it would be. So you gotta be patient with me. And to answer one of your questions: Yes, Jess will be home soon. Only two songs in this one, but I recommend the second wholeheartedly. It's by the Doors. Oh, and thank you Beth and Tanith. Now on with the show…

**Warning:** Rated M for sexual situations.

* * *

…If we could take the time  
to lay it on the line  
I could rest my head  
Just knowin' that you were mine

All mine...

* * *

**Sunday, November 11, 1984. **

**10:42 a.m.**

**Milwaukee, WI – The Kelso Household **

Sitting closely beside her mother on the couch, Betsy Kelso giggled the instant her always-silly daddy slid into view during the first bar of 'Old Time Rock n' Roll,' dressed in only his underwear, a dress shirt and tube socks.

Next to her, Brooke laughed and shared an amused glance with her daughter. Stealing the show, though, during the second bar, was her son, who followed his father's exuberant entrance, hopping into sight while wearing the same exact outfit—diaper instead of underwear—plus a pair of over sized Wayfarers.

_Just take those old records off the shelf  
I sit and listen to 'em by myself_

Smiling faces both, Brooke and her daughter began to bop in their seats as the two boys got down to the music. "Whoo!" Brooke yelled out in encouragement.

"Go Daddy!" Betsy followed as she clapped.

_  
Today's music ain't got the same soul  
I like that old time a-rock 'n' roll_

Beside Kelso, the small toddler bounced and rocked out to the beat, serious as a heart attack as he mimicked his father's smooth moves. Kelso nodded proudly. "Look at him, Brooke. He's a chip off the 'ol good-looking block. He's gonna have the chicks droppin' like flies."

_Don't try to take me to a disco  
You'd never even get me out on the floor _

Brooke laughed at her two men, and watched as her husband-to-be imitated Tom Cruise, making her laugh even more. It was a Sunday morning, her favorite day of the week. She didn't have to work and neither did he. Betsy was home from school and well, Bradley was Bradley, chilling and partying around the clock like the rock n' roller he was.

_Still like that old time a-rock 'n' roll  
That kind of music just soothes my soul…_

"Uh oh," he heard Brooke say, her wincing eyes staring now at Bradley's incriminating diaper. "I think Mr. Cool Guy here's sprung a leak."

Kelso looked down to find his son's diaper oozing brown and raised his hands, cutting his dance routine short. "Whoa! That's all you, baby. You saw it first."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said, standing up, carefully taking her son with her. She gave Kelso a quick kiss. "Make Betsy a sandwich."

Kelso took his kiss, glad to have gotten out of that one. "I can do that." Watching Brooke walk away, he waited and then looked at his daughter. "Smiley face grilled cheese?" But just as she nodded excitedly, the door bell rang.

"Michael! Get that!"

"I'm in my underwear, Brooke!"

"Here Daddy," a little voice called from below as his dress slacks from the day before were nudged against his leg.

"Thanks, Bets." Quickly, Kelso jumped into them and headed for the front door, his daughter tagging along and safely tucked behind him when he finally turned the knob…

* * *

Meanwhile in Point Place…

"No!" Jackie screeched, laughing as Hyde caught her and scooped her body up over his shoulder to take her back from where she had escaped.

"You are," he said, giving her ass a good, hard smack.

"Ow," she giggled, and, in return, slapped his boxer clad rear with both hands as hard as she could, only stinging herself in the process. "O-o-o-ow." She laughed even harder, half whining this time as her body fell limp. "I'm not!"

"Well I say you are," Hyde insisted upon their return to his private bathroom. Gingerly, he set her down on her feet and straightened up with a cocked eyebrow. "Alright. So go on. Undress."

"I'm not dirty, Steven," she reiterated lamely, choking on the laughter that was bubbling up in her throat. Hyde only looked at her, waiting, and Jackie gave up, sighing loudly, knowing that this could go on all day. "Fine, but _then_ we cuddle, Steven," she pointed. "I wanna watch that movie."

Hyde frowned, looking down, pondering as his lips fidgeted. He looked up. "Alright. But I'm gonna have to insist that you be naked the whole time." Then, of course, he grinned, quite pleased with himself while he watched Jackie roll her eyes and tilt her head at him. "Hey. It's my house, Jackie. I make up the rules," he added.

Then she shut one eye at him. "Mmm. How about I be dressed in something skimpy _a-a-and… _I let you feel me up the whole time instead?" she offered; lips posed flirtatiously, eyebrows pitching.

Looking up, imagining all the possibilities, Hyde nodded, his smile growing. "Yeah, I like it."

There was a flutter in the center of Jackie's chest when his eyes settled once again on her, giving her the chills, and she had to smile again. They were living in their own delusional world, playing house on someone else's turf, but for some reason, neither seemed to give a shit. Or maybe they did, but it was just easier to pretend not to. Yeah, Jackie decided as he stepped closer and snuggled her entire torso inside the security of his arms, that's what it was. Positive of it, she closed her eyes and cuffed her arms around his head, squeezing tight as he did.

God. It was so much nicer to pretend.

"You are," she heard him whisper, and broke out into the tickle-induced giggles as he snarled and gnawed at her neck.

"Ahh! Steven! I'm not!"

* * *

… Milwaukee …

"Kelso?" the young woman at the front door asked him warily. She was pretty, around his age, and next to her, wandering the front porch was a small toddler, while, behind them poured the cruel rain that just didn't want to go away.

His brow puckering slightly, Kelso could only stare at her. Her face seemed like one he knew. She was pretty. One of Brooke's friends?

"Yeah," he answered. "Are you here for Brooke, 'cause you're gonna have to wait. She's…"

"No. Actually, I'm…" The woman stopped, her bottom lip dipping behind her teeth in nervousness. "You don't remember me. Do you?"

Suspicious, Kelso nudged Betsy back. "Bets, go help your mom," he muttered to her. And when she left, he stepped forward and looked from left to right. "Is this about Ronnie? 'Cause I tipped that little snot. No matter what he says," Kelso practically growled at her, regarding his rather greedy paper boy. "That little punk's been shaking me down for months."

"What?" the girl said. "No. Kelso." She sighed. "My name's Allison." Her eyes widened, hoping to make him see. "You don't remember me? Geraldine's Pub. Me and my friend, you know, went home with you and your friend."

Kelso's heart dropped. A quick peek behind him revealed that Brooke was still dealing with Bradley, so he stepped outside, shutting the door behind him. "Did I not call you or something?" he questioned her in a low voice. "'Because I used to do that _a lot._ You can't take that personal."

"No, that's…You didn't call actually," she sneered. "But that's not why I'm here… Look. I've been trying to find you or Hyde for a while now. He doesn't live at that apartment anymore and he stopped going to the bar a little bit after that night."

"You've been looking for us?" To that, she nodded, and Kelso grimaced. "Why?"

"Why do you think?"

Kelso scoffed, his eyebrows arching high. "Look. We obviously didn't talk much that night or you'd know that riddles aren't exactly my piece of toast."

"What?"

"Huh?"

"My friend got pregnant. Okay?" she blurted. "That's why I'm here."

Kelso swallowed hard. "Is this still part of the riddle?"

* * *

… Point Place …

Jackie moaned, her jaw moving and spreading wide open in time with Hyde's. God, the way he was kissing her, hard against the bathroom door, the passionate kind of kisses that she devoured recklessly; the kind she still couldn't believe were coming from him. It was no wonder Jessica was always smiling. She was getting _this_ every day. That thought got Jackie heated more and more by the second, though. That girl had no damn idea how hard it had been to get him to this place when he was younger. She, of course, had managed it on occasion, but not without some real effort and a lot of patience. Blondie had no God damned clue.

But this, this kiss, this was him wanting her…_her_…so badly, without effort. She could feel it on her tongue, and in his kisses and teasing licks. His breath was heavy, his mouth forceful, hands demanding as they kneaded at her flesh. Maybe… Maybe it was because he had missed her. God. Jackie wanted to smile, wanted so badly to believe it. Part of her hoped, while part of her denied, that he had missed her as much as his body seemed to convey.

"God, Jackie." He jerked her chest closer to his, quickly, insistently, bending her spine, and kissed her harder, deeper. Jackie whimpered, hugging his head tighter. His tongue was so sweet in her mouth, dipping in and out to give her another taste. The entire experience of him made her whole body rouse with an implosion of chills, while her heart felt like it couldn't take anymore of him. It hurt. Her whole chest hurt with something terrifying.

A whimper escaped from her lungs, and in swift movement, Hyde tore his lips away.

Stunned and knocked out of her fog, Jackie's eyes snapped open to find him frowning at her somberly, out of breath. "Seriously, Jackie, if you don't want to…"

Her eyes grew wide. "No. No," she uttered quickly, making a rabid swipe at his lips with hers. They were so hot to touch. God, and engorged with blood. Swollen. Every part of him was. "I want to. I was only kidding." He smiled gently in relief and lowered his gaze back down to her lips. Obviously, he was done with talking. "God, Steven…" She grabbed his head and forced his mouth down over hers again, crushing her lips hard into his to pry them open. And there it was, his clean, saccharine tongue, penetrating her again. "Oh, God. I'm dirty, Steven," Jackie whimpered, clumsily trying to hook her bare leg over his hip. "I'm so dirty, baby."

"Oh… fuck. Ok," he stammered and ripped his old green t-shirt straight off her body, making her cry out in surprise and smirk wild-eyed as he gave her naked, heaving body a depraved inspection. "Yeah, you're dirty all right..."

* * *

…Milwaukee…

"What's wrong," Brooke asked him, but the question got lost inside the thickness of his fear. Even her face looked garbled and Kelso wondered if he would pass out, his only thought being that if he did, Hyde and Eric better never find out. They would tease him relentlessly for months. Years even.

Don't pass out, he told himself.

"Nothin' baby," Kelso managed. "Uh… I gotta go to the store."

"For what?"

"For, um, hair gel," he stammered unsurely.

"Isn't there hair gel in the bathroom cabinet?"

Kelso stomped his foot. "Damn it, Brooke! Why are you always interrogating me?!"

Brooke only scrunched her nose in confusion. "Whatever, Michael. Just make sure to be home for dinner," she said, walking back toward their bedroom. "I'm making fried chicken."

Kelso nodded. "Yeah, okay…"

* * *

…Point Place…

A rush of adrenaline struck Jackie's already flooded heart and, involuntarily, she mewed like a kitten into his mouth. Skin. His. Warm and Smooth. All over hers. From her lips to her torso and around to the small of her back. God, his body was on fire. Feverishly so. Heat was everywhere as their tongues melted and tangled together between zealous, needy kisses.

"Now," she whispered and, just like that, his muscles tensed around her waist, making her toes separate from the floor as she was lifted back into the shower for the second time in less than twenty hours. Without upsetting the rhythm of their kiss, Hyde shut the shower door and carried her deeper inside.

Almost forgetting where she was, Jackie gasped, steam entering her lungs, when he settled their bodies beneath the warm spray and began to explore her with his mouth.

"Oh God… Steven," she whispered, lowering her head to watch as he kissed and sucked in the molten liquid that trickled down her shoulders. "How do we keep ending up in here?"

"Who cares," he responded, gliding his lips across a multitude of tepid streams until he reached her open mouth again. Slanting her head, Jackie took his dripping tongue in deep. Water was everywhere. In his mouth, and in hers, making their kisses careless and messy with no distinct borders to guide them. Everything was so wet and warm and… "God, you make me so fucking hard, Jackie."

He wasn't lying. She could feel him, engorged against her lower abdomen, and decided to give him some relief. Closing her eyes, Jackie moaned, nipping at his bottom lip as he cupped her breasts firmly, rolling and pinching her nipples between his slicked fingers.

"I want you so much, Steven," she whined and reached through the waterfalls between their bodies, her heart bounding as she took him into her hand and wrapped her fingers around his rigid shaft. Slowly, her light grip glided over him. And she smiled proudly, loving the pained look that washed over his face.

With an almost distressed groan, Hyde dropped his head to watch her wet feminine fist work over his dick, his breaths recessing when she gave him a squeeze and a sharp tug. "Oh, fuck, Jackie." He closed his eyes—his dick hard as a rock, aching in her grasp—and reached into her hair to kiss her again.

Again. Her whole heart swelled with pieces of him. His mouth was so tender and affectionate against hers. Lips felt even softer than they had only seconds before as he languidly played with her tongue. Arms held her more lovingly than they ever had, too, while they slipped down her body to finally hug her chest. Releasing his erection, Jackie threw her arms around his neck; gasping the moment he straightened his back and took her body with him toward the side wall of the shower, his hand barely cushioning their collision.

As Jackie let out a sharp cry of surprise, Hyde grabbed hold of her thighs and yanked her legs around his hips, leaning her up against the warm dew of the Formica wall to ease the tension on his arms. "I can't wait anymore, Jackie," he whispered into her neck, trapping her skin between his teeth. He pulled away to look at her, silently asking for permission with a pass of his lips. "Hang on tight to me." Without another word, he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, inspiring another ardent kiss.

"_God, Steven."_ Treading her fingers through his damp mess of curls, Jackie rolled her hips in answer. "Mm. I need you inside me. Come on, Steven. Now!" she demanded and moved to lick the tiny droplets of water from his jaw and neck, the building steam only blinding them further from the rest of the world as Hyde raised her hips and re-positioned her over him. Clinging tightly to her torso, he forced her body slowly down over his cock and slid inside her, sinking in as deep as he could.

Her tiny body filled by him, Jackie opened her mouth to cry out but it only froze agape as she closed her eyes, a small squeak escaping at the feeling of full penetration. "Oh God," she half grunted.

Hyde kissed her ear. "You okay?"

Slowly, Jackie nodded, moving her hips in millimeters and letting her body adjust to him once again. "Go..." she whispered to him.

Hyde nodded, kissing her wet skin as he, half hugging her slippery body and half allowing his weight to bind her to the sweating wall, made use of his agile hips and began slowly thrusting into her - smooth and deep, at first, until he found his rhythm. Reveling in the feel of her warm, slicked chest rubbing against his, Hyde hugged her tighter and bit kiss after kiss into her neck. Each plunge inside her took him higher and higher and forced him deeper. "God, fuck, Jackie." Her mouth and teeth were devouring him, licking and sucking wherever her lips could reach.

"God," seeped into his ear as a faint whine, making it sound as if she was about to cry. "You feel so good, Steven."

His release building, chest aching, Hyde quickened his pace, his strokes accelerating until he was eventually pounding himself into her body, hard and fast, and without mercy. "Fuck," came rumbling from the back of his throat but was quickly cut off by her excited mouth.

With both her swelling clit connecting entirely with his pelvis and the fulfillment of his thrusts, Jackie quickly felt an orgasm surge through her body and she threw back her head in ecstasy as his arms nearly crushed her ribs. High in her peak, she groaned a hoarse plea to God as she felt the erratic jerks of Hyde coming inside her and tightened her legs around his hips, rubbing free the last bits of pleasure from her aching sex. "God, Steven. I'm still coming."

Quickly, Hyde forced her hips down over him and ground her against himself as she practically strangled his neck in a bear hug. "God! Steven!" Only two more indistinguishable shouts and then silence followed as her little body shuddered and tensed around him. Then, only pants and whimpers filled Hyde's ear while he turned and slid down the wall with her, exhausted from yet another round.

"Okay," he panted back and swallowed hard. "We're…" He swallowed again. "We're lying down after this, watching that movie. I can't… No more Jackie…"

Clinging to him still, she nodded. "Uh huh. But… You started this one…." She paused, taking a few recuperating breaths. "…Stupid."

"Well, just… crap." Hyde dropped his head against the wall and shut his eyes. It felt so good. He was so tired that his lids felt like they had five pound weights dangling from them. "Why can't we just… sleep right here?"

Wearily, and so pathetically, Jackie nodded again against his shoulder, her eyes shaded from consciousness, too. "Okay…"

* * *

Thirty-Eight Minutes Later

Squeaky clean and more tired then he'd felt in a long, long time, Hyde sat on the far end his couch with his temple lazily leaning against his fist. No lights, except for the flicker of his television. No noise, except for the quiet voices on his TV and the dark afternoon rain.

Sleep wanted him.

Partly giving in, he let his eyes flounder and fall shut. And in the darkness behind his lids, he wondered if he could just hold out a little longer for Jackie. She really seemed to want to lie with him and watch this stupid movie. And, for some damn reason, he found himself really wanting to do whatever was going to make her happy. Years of making her cry and then more years of having no effect on her whatsoever had left him, somehow, at her mercy – a location two doors down from hell if that pain in the ass ever found out.

Every intelligent cell in his body, though, was telling him to just take her home and never look back, that she was fucking his head up, that she was going to ruin his good life, and that all of this time with her could only end in disaster. Because he knew. He knew that Jackie would be gone as soon as her boyfriend came home. Plus, his own girlfriend would be coming back. Fuck, just to torture him. Just to give him that look that always made him feel like complete shit for being a dick to her. She had been the one to reintroduce him to guilt, giving it to him in silence and time, and leaving him alone with the conscience that came along with it.

Hyde cringed. The whole thing was fucked up.

Opening his eyes, he looked around at the place that Jessica usually occupied. Would she see right through him? Would he be able to keep up the lie when she wrapped herself around him and told him she loved him?

"Fuck," he muttered and felt his chest begin to crunch with that guilt. Take Jackie home, take her home, he told himself. Fuck!

Hyde turned his eyes back toward his bedroom and suddenly found it hard to swallow. The idea of sending Jackie away again… Damn it. He didn't want her to go anywhere. He wanted her here, with him, even as the thought of losing Jessica ate a hole through the center of his chest like acid.

And Jackie… She just wanted Colin; she had made that clear days before.

Turning his head back toward the television, Hyde narrowed his eyes. That feeling deep beneath his ribcage quickly turned into anger. If she wanted Colin so damn bad, what the hell was she doing here with him, kissing him and touching him the way she was, moaning his name the way she had when they were young. All he could think was that this really was just a fling for her, which, maybe it was for him, too. He could buy that. Only problem, though, was with that wringing feeling in his gut… that one that Jess sometimes gave him, that Jackie had shown him; it was getting worse. And he knew what it was. He knew exactly what it was.

Irritated with himself for allowing it to get this far, Hyde smoothed his palms down his face, rubbing his eyes sleepily as the cause of his misery stepped out of the bedroom behind him, only her voice finding his senses.

"All taken care of," he heard in her cheerful voice, her gentle fingers suddenly tearing his hands from his eyes while she wiggled her way onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I have the whole week off… Kevin's gonna take my assignments."

Seeing through blurred eyes, Hyde watched her smile. She was excited as hell and expecting the same from him in return.

But he only nodded at her, making her shoulders slump in confusion.

"Steven?" She looked at him expectantly, then worriedly, charging his mind with a million memories, before her face fell and her hands slapped over her lap in frustration. "I thought you'd be happy."

"No," he blurted quietly, "I am. You have the week off. That's cool."

Hyde nodded curtly, maybe a little too curtly, but he couldn't shake his previous thoughts. What exactly was her plan, he wondered. To stay the whole fucking week, make him more and more stupid until he was a complete idiot and then just go home to her fucking boyfriend while he was forced to watch them together during holiday parties and fucking weekend get-togethers? "It's great," he mumbled.

"Steven!" Jackie scolded with a smack for his chest. "You jerk. I just figured that…I don't know. After last night I thought you wanted me…you know, here."

"No, I..." Carefully, Hyde slipped his fingers over her ear and into her damp hair, bringing her lips to his to put it all into a kiss. Regardless of her reasoning or motives, he didn't want her to go. "You can stay."

With a new smile, Jackie pulled away. "Good. 'Cause I have two rules…"

"Rules?"

"Yeah, Steven," Jackie scoffed. "This IS me. There's gonna be rules, especially for you."

As Hyde sneered at her, Jackie began her list of demands. "One - We can't be here the whole time, Colin's gonna call and wonder where I am." At that, Hyde rolled his eyes. Fucking Colin. He was sick of hearing his God damn name. "Two – You're paying for everything. Three – You're shaving that beard, Steven. My _face_ is chafing!"

Hyde took a deep breath. "No."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Jackie," he challenged, determined to get his vengeance on her for every damn time that name left her inconsiderate lips. "I told you. I'm on a break. Jess hates kissing me with a beard, so I never get to have one. Now I do. So I'm not shaving 'til right before she comes back."

He waited, holding back his smirk of achievement as Jackie's mouth began to fall and her eyes began to sear from her anger. "Really?" she snarled.

"Mm-hm," he answered casually, still mindful of her glare as he turned his head nonchalantly to fiddle with the material at the edge of his couch. "Yeah, 'cause she's gonna be all over me the second she walks in the door. So. You know." He dared to look back at her. "I'll definitely wanna shave for that."

Hyde smirked as Jackie's eyes narrowed.

Victory.

Then it rang, the phone, and they both sighed. Crap, he thought. What now.

Jackie didn't move, though.

"I should get that," he told her, trying to remember how many days it had been since he answered his phone. How many days since he talked to her.

Jackie only stared hard at him, though, almost pleading. "Steven… Leave it."

Shaking his head, he nudged her hips slightly. "Jackie, come on," he grumbled. "I have to get it."

"Fine!" she conceded curtly, slipping off his lap, and refused to look at him anymore as he stood. He could see the anger and hurt coated all over her—she was so transparent—and he could feel her pulling away from him already. It bothered him but God, she was such a smart girl.

The phone rang for its third time. "Just… be quiet okay. It's probably Jessica and she's got ears like a damn hawk." Immediately upon that word, there was a slight flutter in Jackie's eyes.

"Whatever. Just get it, Steven," she snapped, knowing that if she heard that girl's name slip out of his mouth one more time, she was going to punch him right in it. Watching him walk into the kitchen and lift the receiver up, she wondered what the hell had happened in the last fifteen minutes that had him acting like a jerk again.

"Hello?" Jackie watched him. God, the corners of his mouth raised slightly into a smile. "Hey…" And right there. There it was, she thought to herself, the burn of her jealousy rushing in. Her chest was on fire.

From his position in the kitchen, Hyde looked at her nervously, lowered his voice and stepped out of view.

Ugh! She knew it.

"Oh, no you don't," Jackie growled and slipped off the couch to tip-toe her way toward his quieted conversation, stopping at the edge of his breakfast nook where she hid behind the wall to listen.

"I don't know, just… I've been busy… I know… Baby," Hyde sighed and, immediately, Jackie recognized the irritation laced within his breath and tone. "Are you gonna start with this crap, again… No… What the hell are you calling Donna for?" Jackie narrowed her eyes. Donna? "She called you... Jess… No… Yeah, I did, but… Wait. She told you that?"

A sharp slam jump-started Jackie's heart and all she could conclude was that he had hit something. Hard. The surreptitious brunette winced as her heart thumped even harder than before. What the hell? Donna told her? "_Nothing's_ going on, Jess… I don't know… I didn't think it was important… No… I do miss you… What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He was quiet for a while and Jackie started to wonder if he was still on the phone or if he was just playing his tired old game of 'Ignore'. If so, it meant that maybe he hadn't really changed that much after all. Regardless, though, the silence was driving her mad. But the very moment that she started to move to look, he spoke.

"What…" Jackie froze again. "I don't know what you want me to say… It wasn't a big deal… Yeah… How should I know… Jess, come on… No, I haven't…" Hyde scoffed. "Yeah. I am… Don't threaten me, Jessica… Really… Look. I'm telling you, you're freaking out for nothing…" It was then that his tone dimmed down to the level that had made Jackie jealous almost a week before. The brunette rolled her eyes. "Jess, come on. Don't… Hey… No, I know… Jess… Look, I didn't tell you cause… Yeah… I know… Jess, just stay on the… FUCK!"

The phone was slammed down and Jackie scurried quickly back to the couch, a million things funneling through her mind. But before she could wrangle them into one coherent thought, Hyde stormed back into the room and stopped when they met eyes.

On the couch, Jackie sat out of breath but she could feel her heart binding her lungs together and making it so difficult to breath. He was just staring at her and she couldn't tell if he was angry at her or at Jessica. Nothing could be read from his expression. He looked pissed, though, that much she could see, and stunned, and a little concerned. He was thinking about something as he watched her. Something bad. Completely silent, her own fear settled and became visible in her eyes, making them wide and ragged with worry.

Unable to take anymore of the bitter stillness, Jackie's lips parted to say something. She wasn't sure yet what, but it really didn't matter because right as the oxygen began to leave her body, Hyde stalked past her and out his front door, slamming it shut.

Squeezing her eyes shut at the sharp sound, Jackie exhaled raggedly. "Oh my God…"

* * *

Twenty-Six Minutes Later -1 pm

Back on the couch, Jackie watched her fingers tread over the leather strap of one of the heels that sat on her lap. He still hadn't come back, and she wondered how she was going to get home. She also wondered if this meant that he was going to hate her all over again. Part of her felt nineteen again and just wanted the Hyde that whispered tender things in her ear to comfort and kiss her, to tell her it would be alright, that he would bury anyone who hurt her, including himself. But she feared that he was slipping away again. It was strange how she was always searching for those different versions of him; since the day she'd met him. Her favorite ones always disappeared too soon. And the ones she wanted, when she needed them most, always left without a goodbye.

Always.

Jackie sat back. The other part of her thought like the grown woman she had become. Life wasn't over without him. Love wouldn't end for her. And she certainly didn't love him. Not anymore. She didn't think. "God," Jackie sighed, dropping her head back against the couch. She did feel something for him, though. Something deep and resurrected. It hurt at the moment, but not too bad thankfully.

To her right, the doorknob jiggled but she forced her eyes down as Hyde opened the front door and walked in, closing himself inside before he spoke. "Hey," she heard him mutter.

Graciously, Jackie chose to ignore him and feigned interest in her leather strap as he walked over and sat down beside her. Again, there was silence. But she would not look up. Nor would she speak, she decided, except maybe to ask for a ride home. For the third time in her life, she had nothing to say to him.

Hyde kept his eyes forward. "Look. I'm sorry, okay?" he said quietly. "I just had to get outta here for a little while." Jackie remained quiet, though, and worse than anything he hated being ignored. "So, you're just not gonna say anything?" Nothing. Hyde huffed in aggravation and stood up. "Fine… You know, you're the exact same as you always were. A God damn pain in the ass. I had a fight with my girlfriend and I left, okay. That's my business."

"Yeah, I see your business hasn't changed much," she murmured below her breath.

Hyde heard every word, though. "What the hell is it you want from me, Jackie," he ground out through his unbelievable frustration with everything that was happening.

"Excuse me?" Finally looking up, Jackie stood from the couch. "I don't want _anything_ from you! And I don't _need_ anything from you, Steven! In fact, I have a perfectly happy life without you," she sang pompously. "And someone who loves me." Raising her eyebrows at the irritation on his face, Jackie nodded. "Yeah, that's right, Steven. I_ love_ my life!"

"Yeah?" he asked. "Well, if it's so damn good then why the hell have you been nailing me the last two weeks?"

"Who knows, Steven?! Boredom!" she shouted. "And you're the one that came running to me, remember, breaking into my apartment. Obviously, you're the one with the sucky life. Not me."

"Hey. My life was perfect until I started messing around with you."

Feigning confusion, Jackie tilted her head. "And why_ did_ you start messing around with me, Steven? Jessica not giving you what you need between the sheets?"

Hyde chuckled in disgust. "Just to see if I could, Jackie. And guess what," he grinned smugly and leaned in close. "I can."

As always, he had laid the final blow and, never having seen it coming, she got struck.

Stunned at his own malice, Hyde watched in silent regret as her body absorbed the hit and began to softly cry, flooding her indignant stare with tears. Immediately, his face lamented and, in his next breath, gravity seemed to take a stronger hold on his shoulders. Fuck. Why did he always do that? Why could he always say the things that would hurt her most, that he couldn't take back, while he cowered over the things that might make her smile?

Strangely, the older he got, the quicker he regretted every cruel word that left his mouth through the filter of his anger. Yet, he still hadn't learned how to control it. And now, the look on her face was making his entire torso burn with the guilt of his failures. "Jackie…" But she only ignored him, turning herself around slowly and walking out. The slam of his front door sparked a flinch and Hyde turned his breath to the ceiling. "God damn it."

Once Jackie slammed the door to his apartment shut, her whole body shook. She was so disappointed in herself for allowing him back in. No matter how he changed, no matter how many months and years had separated them, he was still the same jerk inside. But only to her it seemed. Jessica obviously had her own troubles with him, too, though, and Jackie wondered how often had Jessica's heart been broken over him, too?

Jackie looked around. She had no car. No way to get home. And only Brooke knew about her and Hyde. But how would she call her? Exhausted and nearly ready to give up, Jackie sat down on the top stairwell step near his door and looked out the rain soaked sun window, impressed. It really was a nice place where he lived. New and clean. Comfortable. Expensive. So unlike hers, and she wondered how fair it all was. How he always managed to scathe bad fortune. How he hurt people so much, and yet, was loved so much in return.

Tucking her legs up to her chest, she took back her selfish assessment of him. Maybe after sixteen years of being unlucky and unloved, this was his reward. His prize. A perfect life.

Behind her, the door opened, and she tried to blink her damp eyes dry. But the thought of him there relieved her. Not knowing what he would say, Jackie remained hopeful, still giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Hyde stepped past her, down two steps and turned, but she wouldn't look up. She was too angry at him to give him that satisfaction. Plus, she was scared that he would see right through her. Sometimes she could be so transparent.

It was quiet, only the sound of rain pounding on the windows and walls outside kept their ears from ringing. Then suddenly, without a sound, Hyde leaned down toward her and pushed his body between her legs, spreading them around him. And before Jackie could protest or say a word, Hyde had picked her up and was bringing her back inside. Thoughts flooded. Memories dusted up. God, he was so warm. She hadn't realized how cold the hallway had been until he came. And all she did, all she could do, was hold on and tuck her face into his neck. She didn't want to go home. Not yet, at least. And not like that.

She knew now, though. They were going to be smarter this time. They were going to say goodbye the right way. Today. In five days. She wasn't sure when. But something was becoming clearer and clearer with every fleeting minute; they had learned so much more than they had ever realized…

* * *

One Hour Later…

With a cramped stretch, Jackie woke up beside Hyde, squished between his body and the back of the couch. A slight smile arrived when she looked at his sleeping eyes. He had carried her inside, put her sleep shirt back on her, lain her down, whispered that he was sorry, and fallen asleep. It was upon that recollection that she smiled. She had really missed him over the years. Back in their closing hours, he had been more than just her boyfriend; he had become her best friend.

With her finger tracing his ear, Jackie smiled through the glint of glossed-over eyes, blurred from fresh saline and affection. God, he looked so good from where she lay and felt so familiar. "Pudding Pop," she whispered for the first time in five years, testing the old phrase as she gave his lips a feather-light kiss. It felt strange to say but Jackie smiled regardless. Then, snuggling deep in against him, she tried to force her brain to back away from all these thoughts. There could be no more of this. She was beginning to feel the wrenching pain of him tugging on her heart again. And the one thing that she knew best on this earth was her tender heart. Even the tiniest of fluctuations registered. And on that scale, it was experiencing an earthquake, telling her that it still wanted him, that it still ached in his name.

Sensing the pull of sleep, Jackie took in a deep breath and closed her eyes only to jump about a foot when someone began to bang on the front door.

"HYDE!" a voice screeched, followed by a continuous string of pounding knocks.

"Oh my God." In a flash, Jackie sat up and shoved the sleeping Hyde. "Steven!" she whispered harshly. "Get up!"

"HYDE! OPEN THE DOOR!"

Startled into consciousness by all the banging and yelling and prodding, Hyde opened his eyes and started to stretch. "Hey," he groaned smiling.

Jackie pushed him harder. "Steven! Come on! Someone's at the door!"

"HYDE!"

"What the hell is that," he sneered lazily, finishing his stretch and frustrating the hell out Jackie until she just rolled her eyes and shoved him so hard that he tumbled off the edge of the couch and onto the floor below.

"GET UP!" she whispered louder.

"I know you're in there," the now muffled voice yelled again. "I saw your car!"

Hyde shot up from the floor, his face twisted into a panic. "It's Kelso!"

"Yeah! You idiot!" Jackie screeched quietly. "What do we do?"

He looked pained. "Uhh… Hide," was his only solution.

So, as Kelso's knocking and yelling continued, Jackie and Hyde scrambled to their feet, permanently stuck in the raw alarm of their situation. Standing on his couch, lost in her panic, Jackie stepped over and over again to keep her balance and threw her arms out. "Where do I hide?!"

"I don't know," he grimaced, waving her off. "Anywhere… Just… Go! Go!" His hands and arms flailed wildly, ordering her to get the hell out of sight as her scattered form took off running for his bedroom.

Hyde watched her, waiting with his hand on the doorknob, and took a deep breath before swinging open the front door. "What?!" he shouted irritably to his annoying and shell-shocked looking friend.

Kelso pointed at him. "It's all your fault!" he charged in saying. "You did this!"

"No. No," Hyde said and swung his finger around to point outside. "You can't stay, man. You gotta get out of here. I'm busy."

"No," Kelso refused bravely, folding his arms. "I'm not going anywhere." He pointed at his friend again. "You're gonna help me figure out how to fix this."

"Man, what the hell are you jabbering about?"

Kelso stepped closer. "Two and half years ago…When I was staying with you…We brought those stupid chicks back to your apartment. Remember?"

Hyde made a face. "I always brought chicks back to my apartment."

"Yeah, well did you always knock 'em up, too?"

Hyde's entire heart wrung into a tight knot. "What?!"

"Yeah, I just got a visit today from that Allison chick."

"Allison," Hyde repeated, the girl's image immediately jumping to the front of his mind as he gulped. She was a girl he had brought home a lot back in those days. "Why is she going to see you?"

"To tell me I knocked her friend up," Kelso cried out and started to pace.

"What?"

"WHAT?!" a female voice shouted angrily at the same time, making Hyde's eyes widen before he winced at the vision of Jackie storming out of his bedroom to shove Kelso. "You cheated on Brooke?!" She kicked him in the shin.

"Ow, Jackie! I didn't mean to. We were on a brea…" Then he stopped, his jaw dropping at the realization that his ex-girlfriend, Hyde's EX-girlfriend, was standing in Hyde's apartment in only a t-shirt. One of Hyde's t-shirts. He looked her up and down with disgust and shock. "UH!"

"Oh my God." Jackie's eyes widened, immediately trying to find comfort in Hyde, but he only dropped and shook his head slowly, mumbling a quiet 'Crap' at her fumble.

She turned back to Kelso. "Michael, it's not what it looks like." Kelso looked over at Hyde, finally realizing that he, too, was barely dressed, wearing merely an undershirt and boxers.

"UH!" Kelso stepped toward Hyde.

"Kelso," Hyde warned.

"UH!!" he let out one final time and turned down his mouth in anger. "So… Colin goes away for a couple of weeks and you swoop right in to steal his girl."

"What did you just say?" Hyde said, stepping forward.

"Oh God," Jackie muttered. "You guys…"

"You heard me!" Kelso snapped at Hyde, taking another brave step forward as well. "Chick stealer!"

"Oh, **I'm** a chick stealer?" Hyde glowered. "You're one to talk, man. And what the hell do you care if I take Colin's chick? He's not my friend. I'll take whatever the hell I want from him!"

Kelso gasped, indignant.

"Steven!" Jackie called through tightly clenched teeth. "SHUT. UP."

But neither man was listening to her. "Yeah, well he's MY friend," Kelso retorted, "and, since he's not here, I guess I'm gonna have to defend what's his."

"Excuse me," Jackie cut in. "I'm not a car, Michael."

Narrowing his eyes at Kelso, Hyde casually stepped forward. "Really. So you're gonna take his side against me, huh? Fine. Let's go."

"Steven, stop it."

"NO," Hyde told her as he held his seething eyes on his friend. "Kelso's here to defend what's Colin's." Taking one final step forward, he shoved Kelso back. "Fucking traitor."

"You're the traitor," Kelso came back with as he threw his body into Hyde's, slamming him up against the front door. Quickly, Hyde wrenched his oldest friend to the side and sent them both falling to the floor where they began to wrestle.

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Ugh! You two are always doing this! Stop it, Michael!" she shouted, kicking him as he pinned Hyde down. "You…You…" She found Jessica's October issue of Cosmo only a few feet away and began to hit her ex-boyfriend with its colorful fall-tinted pages, trying to avoid Hyde as best she could until she realized that he was actually winning.

"Ahh!" Kelso screamed when Hyde pulled his arm behind his head and twisted.

"Take it back!"

"No!"

Placing her hands on her hips, Jackie stood over her fighting exes. "Steven, you stop it right now," she scolded and began to hit Hyde with the rolled up magazine instead. "Stop beating up Michael."

"Hey! He cheated on Brooke! Remember?" Hyde cleverly reminded her.

Puckering her brow, Jackie looked at her struggling first boyfriend, trapped in front of her grinning second boyfriend, with his arms wrenched high above his head. "That's right! You did! You…" Jackie hit Kelso with Christie Brinkley's smiling face. "Cheating jerk! How could you do that to her?!"

"Yeah, Kelso!" Hyde yanked harder on his arms. "How could you do that to Brooke?"

"Ow! Okay, Okay!" Kelso screamed. "Uncle! Uncle!"

"Take it back!"

"Fine," Kelso screeched. "I take it back. You're not a chick thief."

Hyde let go and shoved his taller friend away. And while the two old friends stood up and adjusted themselves, the room remained quiet. All three were just trying to figure out what the hell was happening.

"So, Michael," Jackie sneered and sat down, crossing her legs and her arms. "I'm going to give you five minutes to explain to me what happened before I sic Steven back on you."

With that, Hyde turned his eyes to Kelso, pissed to find that he was staring at her damn legs. His face wrought with anger, Hyde smacked the idiot hard upside his head. "Hey! Eyes up, man."

Kelso grabbed his head. "Ahhh! God, Hyde. It's not like I haven't seen her naked before." Hyde smacked him again. "Ow! Fine!

"Jackie put something on," Hyde told her.

"Excuse me? No. Don't even try and get all caveman on me, Steven. You lost that right a long time ago."

"Jackie," Kelso snapped. "Will you please just put some pants on?! My eyes have a mind of their own and I can't promise that their not gonna look! Plus I can see your panties."

"God damn it, Kelso!" Hyde hit him again. "Quit lookin'!"

"I just told you, I can't!"

Getting up, Jackie groaned. "You know what! Fine! You're both idiots."

Patiently, both men waited for her to leave the room before Hyde sat down on the couch across from Kelso and lowered his voice. "Man, leave me out of this."

"Huh? No, I need your help. I don't know if this kid is really mine."

"And I'll help you out just…" Hyde lowered his voice even more and looked back toward his bedroom. "She's gonna get all freaked out if she finds out what I was doing that night."

"Man, what do you care? And why didn't you tell me you've been doing it with Jackie?" Kelso said in sincerity. "Dude 'cause, Colin's a really cool guy. He really loves her, man."

Allowing himself to feel a small bit of guilt for the guy, Hyde sighed and sat back against the couch. "Man, it just started, okay. I didn't mean for it to happen. Just… tell me you'll omit everything I was doing that night."

His eyes closing to complete the promise, Kelso nodded. "Yeah. You got it, man."

"Alright, you pervert. I'm dressed!" Jackie walked in snarling, returning to the room wearing a pair of Hyde's boxer shorts and one of his hooded sweatshirts. She sat down next to Hyde and looked at Kelso. "You better start explaining yourself real fast."

"You better quit foolin' around with Hyde," Kelso demanded, pointing at her.

"Kelso," Hyde warned.

"Fine." Kelso sat forward and stared down at the floor. "This chick," he looked at Hyde, "Allison, she said that the girl I was with… that she found out she was pregnant a couple months after I slept with her."

"Why were you screwing some other girl anyway, Michael!" Jackie interrupted. "That's what I wanna know!"

"Jackie, just let him talk."

"Yeah. Just let me talk… _Jackie!"_ Kelso frowned angrily. "Anyway, she said that they couldn't find us 'cause you moved right after and stopped going to that place."

"Wait. So when was this?" Jackie asked him.

Kelso shook his head. "I don't know… Hyde?" He shifted his querying gaze to his friend. "When was this?"

"How should I know," Hyde grumbled, daring Kelso to keep bringing him into it, but there was no use. Kelso was oblivious.

"Cause you were there, man, with Allison. It was your idea to take them back to your apartment."

Jackie turned to Hyde. "What?!" she let out curtly and furrowed her brow. "You knew about this? You were there?!"

Hyde moved his fiery eyes over to Kelso. "What did I_ just_ say, man?"

"You said to admit what you were doing that night."

"_Omit!"_ Hyde growled though clenched teeth. "Omit. It means 'to leave out', you moron."

Kelso scoffed. "Why would I leave out what you did?"

"Yeah, Steven. Why would you ask him to leave out what you did?" Hyde wouldn't answer her, though, wouldn't even look at her. "You know what? That's it!" The small, but pissed off, brunette stood up. "Someone is going to tell me what happened, right now, or I'm calling Brooke!"

Huffing a brusque hint to his growing anger, Hyde shook his head. "You know what, Jackie. It's none of your business what **I** was doing that night. And Kelso, Kelso hooked up with some chick. He and Brooke were broken up. That's the story, and if you don't like it, too fuckin' bad."

The brunette's eyebrows rose. "Michael. Is that your story, too?" she asked calmly, making glaring glances in Hyde's direction and cuing the doofus to be smarter than his ornery best friend. "Because if it is, then I have a phone call to make."

Hyde scoffed. "God Damn it, Jackie! Brooke doesn't need to know!"

"NO? She doesn't need to know that he has another kid running around out there? That he cheated on her!"

"I didn't cheat," Kelso responded, his tone pleading and scared. "She kicked me out, Jackie. I was really hurt, okay, and drunk and Hyde was just trying to help me get my mind off of her."

"By introducing you to one of his whores?"

Hyde looked up, leaving his thoughts apparent as that soft place inside that held her still felt the sting of her leftover hate. There it was, he thought. He knew she still had it somewhere within her. In that part of her that thought he was trash. Where he had whores. And where Kelso knocking up some chick could only be his fault. That hate she'd built after Sam was still there.

Right then, Jackie looked at him and felt her throat knit at the disillusionment that shone in his eyes. Instantly she knew; she had said the wrong thing. Not that it wasn't true back then, but it just wasn't who he was now. So far from it.

"Steven…" she murmured, feeling the knot thicken. "I'm sor…" But, as a deafening roll of thunder cracked outside, Hyde's face hardened, his eyes glazing over with the usual armor as he looked away.

"Hey, man. You want a beer?"

Sadly, and lost in his own torment, Kelso nodded while Hyde stood. "Yeah."

Without another glance in her direction, Hyde walked right past her. "Steven. I didn't mean…" But he just ignored her and continued on into the kitchen. Looking down at Kelso, Jackie began to feel a million new facets of regret. His chin was trembling. His eyes were tearing. And God, he seemed so scared.

Jackie knelt at his feet. "Michael, she's not gonna leave you if you just talk to her and tell her what happened."

"No. Jackie," Kelso uttered despondently. "She won't marry me if she finds out what I did. I promised her a long time ago that I would be faithful. 'Cause she knows how I was. And she told me, Jackie, she told me that she'll leave me if I ever cheat. Brooke… Brooke's not a liar like I am," he said right before the he let his eyes puddle with tears. "She's so good."

Putting her arms around his neck, Jackie squeezed him tight and started to cry for him. "Oh, Michael."

"I love her, Jackie."

"I know you do."

"You weren't cheating, man. She had kicked you out for almost a month. She said you two were done," Hyde reminded him as he walked back into the room and set a beer down on the coffee table for his friend. "Plus, I know we were pretty smashed that night, but I swear you asked me for a condom. It can't be yours."

As Hyde cracked open his beer, Kelso shook his head. "Man, I always wear one, too. I don't know what happened."

Jackie furrowed her brow. He did always wear one. Even with her, he had. Even after years of being together and knowing she was on the pill, he had. "Wait. So this was what…" Glancing at Hyde, Jackie tried to recall the month when all this had happened. From her own memory, Kelso had been kicked out a few months before she moved in with him and Brooke. Maybe… May or June of… 1982, Jackie figured. A couple of days after Chris had… Jackie squared her sights on Hyde. "June of 1982?"

_People are strange when you're a stranger  
Faces look ugly when you're alone_

Beer in hand, Hyde shared a culpable look with Kelso and sighed. "Yeah…"

_Women seem wicked when you're unwanted  
Streets are uneven when you're down…_

… _June 23, 1982…_

_Geraldine's Pub – Kenosha, Wisconsin_

When you're strange  
Faces come out of the rain  
When you're strange

_Kelso could only recall the dizziness that had been plaguing his already disheartened mind that night. The dark bar had merely served to keep him locked in his own head and the booze was only making him miss her more. And Hyde, who sat across from him, his lips eagerly fastened to the blonde on his lap, was no help at all. Only the quiet girl beside him, who had just been dumped as well, was making any headway on his pain. Kelso looked over. _

No one remembers your name  
When you're strange

"_You want another one," he asked her lamely, pointing at her almost empty glass. _

"_No." She gave him a weak smile. "I think I've had enough." _

When you're strange  
When you're strange

_Immediately, he noticed the gloss in her green eyes. She was just as trashed as he was and if she hadn't been so pretty, the conversation, and the night, probably would've ended right there. But soon, he found himself staring at her lips. They were full and shapely, just like Brooke's, and he wanted so badly to kiss them, wanted to feel better, wanted to drown himself in the taste of someone who wasn't going to hurt him tonight. It had always worked before. But this was different. He had never felt this kind of pain before. It was so real. So palpable. The mother of his child, the first woman he ever wanted to change for, didn't think she wanted him anymore. _

People are strange when you're a stranger  
Faces look ugly when you're alone

"_Are you okay?" he heard her voice say softly._

_Looking at her, Kelso thought about it. She seemed like you could tell her anything. There was something about the way she spoke. She was bewitching. "No," he answered._

Women seem wicked when you're unwanted  
Streets are uneven when you're down

_She nodded. "Yeah," she let out and caught his bruised heart with a downturn of her mouth, her face wincing in pain. She wanted to cry. _

"_Hey," he uttered, leaning forward with a small smile. "Please don't cry. I know something that'll make you feel better. It always makes me feel better."_

_She pitched her eyebrows, intrigued. "What?"_

"_Well… Me and you." Kelso looked around. "I mean, we're obviously the best looking people in the room." Immediately, she laughed. "I mean, your friend's okay, but other than that… we're it!"_

_She smiled and looked around, returning to him with a playful look. "You're right. I do feel a little better."_

When you're strange  
Faces come out of the rain  
When you're strange

_Nodding, Kelso smiled. "See. Works every time. I'm usually the best looking guy in the room, so I use that **a lot**."_

_The girl smiled with mild flirtation. "Well, you are cute." _

No one remembers your name  
When you're strange  
When you're strange  
When you're strange

_Alright, yeah… _

The memory of what followed failed to come through clearly. Either he or the girl in question had made a move, kissing the other one in their dark corner of the bar. It really didn't matter, though, who started it. He had reciprocated enthusiastically. And her mouth and tongue had felt so good that when Hyde suggested they leave, he didn't waver or argue…

_Standing up, Allison leaned down to give a drunken Hyde a wanton bite on his lip. "I'll be right back and then we can go."_

_Hyde's eyebrow arched at her willful tone. "Yeah. Hurry up." _

_Both girls had left for the restrooms, leaving Kelso and Hyde to themselves for a few minutes. Kelso remained silent, though, knowing that as long as he didn't ask Hyde what he should do, Hyde would never say a word, never guilt him. Silence was the key. Don't discuss it and it didn't happen. That was the way their friendship worked. _

_Closing his bloodshot eyes, Hyde took a swig of his beer and leaned his head back on the chair. "Can you believe her, man?" Kelso didn't answer. Didn't know what the hell Hyde was talking about and didn't care. "Fucking bitch," he continued. "I was being nice. I was right there, man. I protected her. And it's not enough. It was never fuckin' enough for her. Nothing I did ever was."_

_Kelso was in no mood. "What… the hell… are you talking about, man?"_

"_Jackie."_

"_Jackie?" Kelso sneered. "Man, Hyde. You're cut off. You just said Jackie."_

_Hyde shook his head from its position. "I should've just left, man. But…" He lifted his head slightly and took another awkward gulp of his beer before dropping it back down. "I didn't."_

_Kelso looked around for the two girls. "Yeah, ok, Hyde." _

"_She said she doesn't love me anymore."_

_Kelso frowned, still confused. "Who?"_

_Irate, Hyde raised his head. "Fucking Jackie, man! What the hell? Hey, what's all over your face?"_

_At the thought of something on his face, his last real asset, Kelso panicked. "What? Where?"_

_Narrowing even more his nearly closed eyes, Hyde leaned forward. "It's lipstick or that gloss shit they put on their lips."_

"_Yeah," Kelso dragged his finger over his mouth. "She tasted like peaches."_

_Hyde grinned. "Cool…"_

Kelso looked from left to right at Jackie, then Hyde, and then Jackie again. They were both grimacing at him. "What?"

"Man, that was surprisingly accurate," Hyde admitted. "I was expecting a Jackie-esque fantasy where chicks were falling all over you and I was in hot pants, dancing to ABBA."

At that, Kelso gestured arrogantly. "You know, people think I'm dumb," He pointed to his head, "but I've got a memory like a giraffe."

"You mean like an elephant," Jackie corrected.

Her lanky ex grimaced. "Uhh… Why would I want a memory like an elephant, Jackie? They're fat and _grey_." He scoffed at her. "Giraffes are tall and can climb trees. Hello."

Hyde grinned at Jackie. "There it is."

Jackie wasn't smiling, though. She was only staring at him. "So you really said all that?"

His smile fading, Hyde rolled his eyes away. The moment Kelso had recalled that part of the night, Hyde just knew that Jackie would latch onto it. "I was drunk, Jackie. I do and say a lot of crap when I'm drunk." He took a swig of his beer.

"Yeah, me too," she retorted, causing his eyes to fall back on her. She raised her eyebrows at him. "Hyde."

Hyde shook his head at her and shifted his attention back to Kelso. "So what the hell are you gonna do, man?"

"No. No," Jackie cut in before Kelso could answer. "I still wanna know what happened after that. You two idiots brought those bar whores back to your apartment, huh?" she asked Hyde.

"That's right, Jackie. We brought our whores back to my place and had a dirty, raunchy gang bang all night," Hyde responded with, grinning. "It was awesome."

Kelso started to laugh but stopped as Jackie glared at him in disgust. "You did, didn't you?"

Hyde flipped his eyes up. "Christ."

"Ugh!" Jackie cried out at him. "I can't believe I slept with you! Did you even use condoms?" She stood up and began to pace, her fingers combing up into her hair. "Oh my God. And I let you come in me."

"Whoa!!" Kelso cried out and stood from his chair as if it was covered in the bubonic plague. "That's something I don't need to know about."

"Jackie, cut the crap," Hyde threw in. "We didn't have a gang bang."

"You just said you did!"

"I was kidding!"

Kelso pointed at Hyde. "Yeah, I'm, like, seventy-five percent sure he was kidding. I would totally remember a gang bang."

"Shut up!" Jackie and Hyde both yelled at him in unison.

"Did you use condoms?" Jackie asked, turning suspiciously to Hyde. "How many girls have you been with?"

"Don't answer that," Kelso instructed Hyde. "I learned that one the hard way."

With that bit of advice, Hyde stood up to face his incensed ex-girlfriend. "Don't worry. I'm _not_ gonna answer that. And do you know why, Jackie? 'Cause it's none of your damn business how many chicks I've nailed. We weren't together."

"It became my business, Steven, the minute you shot your load inside me."

Kelso groaned. "Can we please stop talking about Hyde's load?"

Hyde stayed on Jackie. "I used condoms. Every time."

"You don't use 'em with me," she reminded him.

"So?"

Jackie folded her arms. "Well why don't you?"

"I don't know. 'Cause it's you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Do you use 'em with Jessica?"

Hyde paused, unsure if he wanted to answer that. "No," he eventually said, knowing exactly her motive in asking – she wanted to know how important Jessica was to him. How close they were. "I don't use 'em with her either." He said through a near smirk. "Do you use 'em with Colin?"

Jackie took a deep breath and looked down in her temporary defeat. "No."

"That's what I thought," Hyde sneered. "And I don't have some God damn disease, Jackie. How do I know that _you_ don't have one?"

"Cause I_ don't, _Steven! And there's a big difference here between me and you. You're…"

"I'm what? White trash?"

Jackie swallowed down her sudden nervousness. A small piece of her wondered where he got that from. He seemed so sure of himself. "I never said that," she fibbed.

"You've said it a million times," Kelso interjected as he sat back and drank his beer.

Jackie gasped. "Michael!" Damn it. She was going to kill him.

Hyde smirked, pleased with the return of Kelso's loyalty. "Thank you, Kelso."

"No problem, man."

"Well, you were!" Jackie shouted out, deciding just to admit to how she truly felt about his past behavior. "You acted like complete trash for years, Steven!"

At that, Hyde folded his arms and scowled at her.

"And don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about either!" she continued. "You married a stripper - a whore, Steven, who you had very loud, _tacky_ sex with! A real woman finds ways to keep quiet when other people are in the house! But not your whore, Steven! Nope. She screamed like someone had just yelled 'action'! Oh! And you grew that hideous mustache, which would have been perfect for your porn star quality wife, I'm sure! And it made you look like you walked straight out of the trailer park! And through it all, you treated _me_ like dirt! For no reason! Like** I** was the trash! And you were _always_ drunk! Then, oh then, you whored around Point Place just to…"

"It wasn't for no reason!" he yelled back suddenly.

"What?"

"You heard me," Hyde growled. "I _hated_ you."

Jackie's eyes thinned and burned straight through him. "You had _no_ reason to hate me."

"I had every reason to hate you, Jackie." Hyde scoffed a feigned smirk onto his face. "You call _me_ a whore? You fucked my best friend." His smirk fell immediately.

Jackie stomped her foot. "We didn't have sex!"

"You were going to!" he yelled back.

They both turned to Kelso, who threw his hands up. "Don't bring _me_ into this."

"You're coming in or I'm kicking your ass," Hyde told him and glared at Jackie. "We're gonna finally get to the bottom of this."

"Steven! I already told you…"

Hyde turned to Kelso. "Repeat what you told me about that night."

"Michael," Jackie said quizzically, unable to believe that he would tell Hyde what she made him promise not to.

Kelso's face fell. "I'm sorry, Jackie."

Hyde smirked at Jackie. "See. Liar. I knew. I knew the whole time. You were a cheating bitch."

Kelso looked up. "Hyde. That's not cool, man."

"Shut up, Kelso," Hyde muttered as his loathing gaze settled on Jackie. "You acted so innocent but you were the whore first, Jackie. Not me."

Jackie wasn't sure how long they stared at each other, how long the tears had been rolling down her cheeks or how long it had been since she hadn't felt that sting of betrayal from someone she loved. Turning her eyes to Kelso, who actually did look remorseful, Jackie just shook her head in disbelief.

"He wanted to know, Jackie," Kelso tried to reason. "He's my best friend. What did you expect me to do? I didn't think he'd get so pissed over a kiss."

"Well, I did," Hyde interjected.

Jackie shifted her sight back over to Hyde. His features had softened, but not that much. And the room, it was starting to feel cramped, so small and dark as all the bad memories and hate dusted up around them. She had to get out of there and immediately headed for the door.

"I'm not going after you, Jackie," Hyde called out behind her. But she left anyway. "Fuck."

Kelso frowned at him. "Why'd you go and do that for, man?" He shook his head. "You know, I never understood you when it came to her."

"She makes me wanna shoot myself," Hyde responded, willing himself to be angrier at her then he really was. "That chick drives me nuts."

"Uh huh. So you're really just gonna let her go out in the rain in boxers and a sweatshirt?" Kelso got up and headed for the bathroom. "She has no shoes on, man."

"Crap…"

* * *

A Couple of Minutes Later…

It was still raining out. Damn. It was always fucking raining these days, Hyde noted as he stepped outside and squinted through the haze and fog. She was nowhere.

"Jackie."

Fuck. Which way did she go? Left or Right? This question seemed to be their main problem. It always worked out the same way, though. She would go left as he would go right, or vice-versa, the two of them never moving in the same direction. But he would find her eventually. She could never stray too far from him.

"Jackie!"

Fuck it. Left, he decided and stepped out into the rain, jogging through the parking lot, soaking his fresh change of clothes and finding her quickly, sitting beneath a bus stop cubicle. "Jackie."

She looked up. "Why didn't you tell me you knew?"

Hyde sighed. "Because it didn't matter anymore."

"It mattered to ME!" she yelled through her tears and the light rustling of the sky falling around them. "I loved you! And you hated me and I wanted to know why!"

Part of him wanted to scream at her. How could she NOT know that she had broken his God damn heart? That she had destroyed him… so fucking easily. She had won, and now she fucking wanted to know why? Hyde stared at her incredulously as she waited.

"Why?" she repeated with more force. "Why did you hate me so much, Steven?"

"Why do you think, Jackie?"

"I don't know, Steven. I really don't. The last thing I knew, you were saying that…"

"Because you left me!" he shouted curtly at her, quickly pulling himself back again. That was all she was getting. Standing there, his face hardened, his body even more rigid, praying that she stayed where she sat. Those old feelings of abhorrence were quickly rekindling and billowing up inside of him. He wasn't sure what he was capable of anymore.

But, of course, she didn't. Instead, she slowly stood, lips parted in amazement as her mind churned with the new information, a hundred painful memories now reinterpreting themselves and coming into focus. Eyes locked firmly on his, Jackie moved her body closer to him. "I'm sorry," she whispered earnestly, realizing that before Brooke's party, before Sam, even before Las Vegas, she had left him. She had abandoned him, just like all the others in his life had. Worse, she ran to Kelso, his only breath and skin insecurity when it came to her. Tears coated her fresh eyes. "I'm sorry I left you alone, baby." His face wasn't changing, though. It was stern with his obstinacy, and she knew he wasn't fully hearing her. "It didn't mean I didn't love you, though… God, Steven, I loved you so much."

His lids falling gently at the honesty in her voice, Hyde moved his eyes a few inches from her face. It was hard to look at her. That kind of honesty always made him wary. "Jackie. None of that even matters anymore."

She stepped closer and, instantly, adrenaline began to surge though him. "It matters to me," she said in the gentlest voice he had ever heard her muster. His eyes closed and opened again at the sound. By now, though, she was staring off somewhere just beyond his left arm, thinking. She looked so tired. And tired, himself, from all the fighting, Hyde stepped around her to sit down on the bench. He needed to think, too.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jackie moved, and a quick glance confirmed that she was coming to sit beside him. Together, they waited quietly. The one thing about rain, it was distracting, and made all silences comfortable, even theirs. The soft trickling sound of water eased them both until Hyde found himself ready to speak.

"I didn't hate you," he said quietly to the showered pavement. "I was just pissed." He looked over at Jackie. "Really, really pissed."

Jackie raised her head to make eye contact, her lips curling up into a small smile. "Because you still loved me?"

Hyde's face softened as he shook his head and looked away, a small smile betraying his façade. "Why do you do that?"

"Because, Steven, for a long time I still loved you. Even after that whore. And it hurt. And it would make me feel a whole lot better to know that you were just as miserable over me." She rolled her eyes away. "Even though I don't think you were."

"I was miserable," he muttered and looked back over at her tenaciously. "You happy now?"

A smile crept over her face, but she chose not to look at him. It felt more empowering not to, especially knowing that he was watching her. "A little." She could tell, though, that he was smiling, too, as he looked away. And happiness filled her. Her heart, in the meantime, was swelling with something good. Maybe it was with forgiveness or maybe it was with the return of his friendship, the one she had lost in all the resentment and hurt. Whatever it was, though, it felt incredible as it coursed through her body.

"I'm sorry, Jackie," she heard come softly from beside her. She turned her head to find his blue eyes. "You know… about everything that happened," He looked down, "About her."

At that, her head fell a tiny bit, too, as she fought past the sting in her nose and blinked back the urge to cry. She didn't want to. She wasn't sad. She was relieved, and with relief brought that impulse to purge all the old pain that usually embittered her mind. But she wouldn't cry. "I'm sorry, too," she offered. "About him."

Hyde nodded and looked in her direction, his eyes darting everywhere, occasionally falling on her. "Cool."

Jackie laughed and bit back her bottom lip. With a giddy, playful smile on her face, she scooted closer to him.

Looking down, Hyde grinned.

It encouraged her to scoot even closer, stopping when their hips met to grab his hand and swing it over her own shoulder. He held it there and drew her in a little closer as she pulled her knees to her chest and turned toward him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Cool," she murmured…

* * *

One Hour Later…

Memories. How they always came falling in flurries when she looked at him; like a blanket of snowflakes: different but many. There was an endless sum, so many that each step he took dusted up more and more until she was surrounded, lost in an evocative cloud of his remarks and smiles, looks and kisses.

Five years.

That's how long it had been without him.

Too long, Jackie reminded herself the moment he ambled happily back into the living room with a tub full of jiffy pop and two tall glasses of root beer. She had known this man for nearly her whole life and, in the last five years, never believed that they would make another good memory together. She had believed instead that they had left each other far behind in childhood. She had believed that she had lost her friend.

Grateful to be wrong, Jackie smiled when he sat down beside her and gave her a glass with a gentle peck for her lips before he settled back to watch their movie. Leaning her cheek against the ridge of his shoulder, Jackie closed her eyes and decided to just watch the dust fly…

To Be Continued.

* * *

**A/N2:** Alright, so I'm aware that this chapter isn't my best work but please be gentle with me. And please review. 


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Four Days**

**A/N: **Thank you all for the reviews. The majority of you are so incredibly supportive and I really appreciate it. Ok, this chapter: It's going to hurt a little and some might bail out on me. And that's ok. I understand. Just please do it without the nastiness. I don't think I've done anything to deserve being bashed. This entire story has already been dreamed up and I can't change it. And some chapters are just going to be better than others. Being mean to me or yelling at me isn't going to change any of it from happening, though. This one, in particular, has a lot of Jessica. Please do not skip her scenes. You need to know this stuff. And please don't complain about the content. I totally warned you guys from the beginning that she and Colin were going to be in here and that I would be pushing the envelope. If you can't tackle this chapter then there's just _no_ way you're going to make it through the third act when these two come home. That being said, please don't hurt me.

**Song requirement again**: Tangerine by Led Zeppelin. Please have it ready for the final scene. It's the only song in the entire chapter so it's not asking too much. I checked Youtube and the best version comes up if you search this - **Tangerine John Bonham**

And finally, this chapter is dedicated to all my zennies at the UDZ and beyond. "We stick together through thick and thin" (elphabachan). And to Tanith, for being so damn money.

* * *

_September 3, 1983 _

_Labor Day Weekend_

_Southport Park Beach, Lake Michigan_

_It was about midday and Jackie's eyes thinned behind the tinted veil of her sunglasses, her toes digging into the warm sand as the harsh, late summer sun beat down on her back. _

_Covertly peering just millimeters above her elbow, Jackie watched them carefully. He was about seven or eight feet away, sitting below the shade of the beach umbrella he had bought only hours before, and she was on his lap, placing feather-light kisses around his drowsy eyes. Usually Jackie just ignored his 'friends,' since no one ever saw them more than once, but he had never brought one on a trip. Not before this girl, who Jackie had seen three times already in the past month. _

_And he was different with her. That's what struck Jackie most. He was so enamored and his attention was locked so hard on the adoring face that now smiled brightly at him. _

_From behind her Raybans, Jackie watched him smile right back and kiss his new girlfriend's lips so affectionately that her mind clouded over with a sadness that she had long forgotten. _

_It was one thing to accept that he was giving his body away like it was a consolation prize… If she remembered correctly, it had taken her some time, but that pain had been the first to subside. But at one time, the very thought had given her the most excruciating bouts of the chills, usually at night, when she lay in bed crying. Though, they had faded in time, and so had he. His softness had been the first to go and she had found comfort in the assumption that she would be the last to ever feel it. _

_But here it shone, smiling softly and cupping the cheeks of the glowing strawberry-blonde who appeared even more enamored than he. _

_Jackie realized right then that it was another thing entirely to know that he was giving his heart away. Almost four years later, this would be the final pain to ease. _

_Suddenly interested, Jackie shifted her attention to the girl. She was pretty by her standards, which were impossibly high. She certainly wasn't trashy like the rest, and her hair was an interesting color, healthy, and a little past her shoulders in loose curls. Her body was small like her own, only with bigger breasts._

_Jackie rolled her eyes. It figured. God. She wanted so badly to hate this girl but she hadn't yet found her perfect reason to. And as she watched the two of them fall into a deep kiss, a chill arrived. _

_Clenching her eyes shut, Jackie forced Colin's image into her mind. She had to stop with this. It was crazy. She had to stop watching them. She had to think of Colin. And then, Jackie smiled. Okay. There he was. _

_Re-opening her eyes, Jackie was relieved to find that their kiss was finally winding down with little bites and whispers. Without much choice in the matter, she just accepted the feeling that was overwhelming her, telling her that she was heartbroken and, yet, strangely contented at the same time. _

_Heartbroken because she was being forced to remind herself that she could not be the only one to ever hold his heart. He had to fall in love again someday, and it looked like today was that day. And if not, it would be soon. _

_Contented because, from where she lay, he looked so happy, and satisfied, and finally at peace. He even appeared healthier to her and, God, his precious cheeks were flushed. Jackie stared shamelessly as Jessica whispered something against his lips and made him smile, that drowsy bedroom smile that she hadn't seen since their final hours - the hours that she had long wished she had paid more attention to - the night they had exchanged an 'I love you' for the first and final time. _

_And by the looks of the girl on his lap, he would be loved again. Jackie knew because as this girl gave him a parting kiss and laid her head on his shoulder, her brown eyes came into view. She was lost in him. She was so far gone, and Jackie could only feel sympathy for her. He would break her heart one day. He would crawl inside her and take her so high, only to leave and send her crashing back down. It'll kill her and she'll cry until there are no more tears left, until her head is pounding from the dehydration and heartbreak. But she'll get through it, Jackie thought. Some day._

_Finally, Jackie watched her kiss his shoulder, her eyes squeezing shut as Hyde returned the gesture with a light squeeze. He grinned down, kissing her forehead as he whispered something that made her laugh. And with a sense of approval, Jackie let her last pain go. Maybe this girl would make him happy, or make him a better man. Maybe she would love him so much that all of his insecurities would finally disappear. It was obvious, by the fulfilled expression on his face, that he needed it, whether he knew it or not. _

_So, accepting that truth, Jackie looked into brown eyes, wished the girl luck, and turned her head. _

"_Hey, Brooke," she whispered. _

_Brooke opened her eyes. "Huh?"_

_Raising her eyebrows, Jackie smiled persuasively. "Come strut with me. I need a boost." _

_To Jackie's surprise, the first thing Brooke did was glance behind her head at the new couple and then back at her again. "Yeah, okay. But no autographs this time," she pointed. "I don't wanna be gone long."_

_Jackie rolled her eyes and pushed herself up onto her knees. "Fine." _

_While she got up and brushed herself off, she made another quick glance in Hyde's direction and caught his eyes. He had looked at her, made a brief, instinctual sweep over her body, and then turned away. _

_Subtly, Jackie smiled. Her first ogle. She felt better already. "Come on, Brooke. Let's go." They both stood and posed, a giggle setting the mood as they took off down the beach, leaving Hyde behind, yet again, in another woman's arms, until the next time…_

**Monday, November 12, 1984**

**4:37 p.m.**

**Hyde's Bedroom **

There was one universal rule that every woman to ever love a man learned to live by. Jackie smiled. Well, the beautiful ones did anyway.

_If you could snag him, he was yours._

The old adage was as true as ever; all _was_ fair in love and war. Whoever won him, won. And there was no prize for the loser, only anguish and heartache where he had once been.

Breaking this cardinal rule, Jackie looked back down at the little photo-strip square between her fingers and puckered her chin. She had no intention of stealing him away from Jessica. And she wasn't meaning to hurt her. The girl, one year her junior, had always been so nice. They had even been to mall together once with Donna, and who couldn't like a girl who sneered at the redhead's purchase habits.

Despondently, Jackie sighed and said a silent sorry, to Jessica, and to Colin, and to everyone who was being forced to lie for her and Hyde, because just beyond the highs, there were the lows of their guilt, and they were tearing a hole in her heart. Pushing aside the images of the two people that she and Hyde were hurting had kept their little bubble from bursting, but neither had been forgotten.

"What are you doing," she heard Hyde ask and looked up. His eyes were on the photo in her hand.

"Oh." She slipped it back into the clear pocket of his wallet. "I'm… I was just looking for a couple dollars and…" She looked back up and winced. "Are you mad?"

"No," he said quietly and sat down on the bed, scooting in beside her. Taking his wallet from her hand, he opened it up and took his own look at the picture inside. Guilt surged though him instantly and he snapped the wallet shut, swiftly shoving it into his back pocket. With slightly troubled eyes, he turned to Jackie.

"I'm sorry, Steven," she uttered nervously, her shoulders rising. "I just…" Sucking in her bottom lip, Jackie tried to articulate what she was feeling, but, God, it was so hard with him looking at her that way. Instead, saline stung her eyes and forced her response. "I feel so guilty, Steven. Don't you?" Through an expression that told her he did, Hyde only blinked. "I'm a horrible person," she added dolefully, thinking of all the dirty things they had done in the last two weeks. "And God! I'm a…" Her respirations were hastening. "I'm such a whore."

"Hey. Hey." Hyde reached out and pulled her onto his lap. "C'mere. You're not a whore," he asserted as she hugged his waist and snuggled her head into his neck. "Okay?"

Sniffling, Jackie rubbed her cheek on his shirt, drying her only tear on the cheap material, and settled back into him. "I guess."

Realizing that this was his shot, Hyde paused to swallow and figure out how he was going to voice the decision that he had made during his shower. He was prepared to just ask her to leave Colin, and tell her that he would leave Jessica, but he needed something from her, anything, a keyword, a hint, a glimpse of that lovesick girl who used to ogle him with complete adoration, to give him that gale that he needed to feel brave. "Yeah. So," he started in a deep tone and cleared his throat, "I was just wondering what's gonna happen on Friday."

Slowly, Jackie sat up and furrowed her brow. "Oh," was all she initially had to say as she looked between them in her contemplation. It was a merely a moment, but the wait seemed so long to him. Finally, she parted her lips, though. "I don't know. I guess we just…make sure to stay away from each other. Right? To be safe."

It wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear from her so he waited, silently prodding her to continue. She could never shut her mouth for more than a few seconds at a time anyway and, right now, he was grateful for that particularly annoying quirk of hers. Shaking her head, Jackie shrugged. "I mean, I can't even imagine being in the same room with you and him. It would be too weird." His confidence fading, he only watched quietly as she gazed behind him and freed the varied thoughts that had plagued her, too. "At least we live far away from each other. And we rarely see each other…" Her eyebrow slowly rose as she stared in to place that apparently held all the things that worried her mind. "I think he's gonna ask me to marry him soon. He keeps hinting." Jackie smiled, but it fell so fast and she looked up. "He can't find out."

"He wont." Hyde felt so devoid of air. "If we do what you said," he muttered. But things seemed a little clearer, a little more final, at least until she leaned forward and touched her lips to his. He noticed that her kiss felt like torture now. Like those drunk nights when he would think about her, and crave that feeling of a girl who loved him and the intimacy that came with her. He had it now in Jess, and he had to remind himself of that. Jackie didn't want him. As usual, he was her second choice. Her second everything.

Hyde gave her a peck and sat back. "You still wanna go?"

"Uh huh," she smiled proudly and held out her arms. "I'm all ready."

He gave her a smile and gently pushed her body from his to get up. "Amazing, baby." Reaching out his hand, he helped her off the bed. "C'mon. We gotta go now if we're gonna make visiting hours…"

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

Kenosha, Wisconsin

The Parking Lot of the Red Cantina Restaurant

His mood down, Hyde stepped out of his car and closed the door, leaning against the side as he did. Around him the air was cool, but much milder than it had been all month. The rain, like his mind, had taken a temporary break from the world, the setting sun glowed in bright hues of orange and red, and Jackie, who was walking around the car to meet him, was in love with someone else.

He had spent the last couple of hours at her place and done some Jackie-inspired snooping as she made a final trip to the restroom. Pictures of Colin littered the small studio apartment, a stack of his mail sat on the counter, and some of his clothes hung neatly in her closet. His suits had been cleaned and pressed. She took care of them. He could tell. She took care of him, and fussed over him, smothered the shit out of him because she loved him so much.

He had missed that about her.

The slightest of smirks stretched across his lips, though, as his eyebrow shot up in amusement. It figured. It figured she would be in fucking love. She always was. But what could he do? He had had his time with her and blown it, and, as Jackie sauntered into view, Hyde shifted his eyes left and widened his grin at her. By the grace of Zeppelin, though, there were four days left to hang out with her and then let her go.

And with all the strength her 105 pound frame could gather, Jackie grabbed his shirt and yanked his body hard against hers, "What are you smilin' about," and gave him a kiss. "Huh?"

"You," he murmured against her lips and returned with another kiss.

Her reaction was exactly what he had been seeking, lips forming an 'O' as she touched the tips of her fingers to her heart and gazed at him as if he were the most thoughtful man in the entire world.

"Oh, Steven," she cooed, her bottom lip extending into a pout. God, she really was beautiful.

Rising onto her tip-toes, Jackie rewarded him with a gentle, lingering peck to his lips and, in silence; he watched as her attention shifted down to his chest, where she fastened one of the buttons on his shirt and smoothed her hand over his lapel.

"There. Much better than that ratty sweatshirt you were gonna wear," she delicately sneered. "Or, God, one of those stupid vests."

Hyde frowned. "What's wrong with my vests?"

Jackie cocked her eyebrows at him. "Nothing, if you're a hunter or about to assassinate the president."

Hyde smirked. Damn, even as she mildly burned him, her eyebrows pinched now into a tiny scowl, his heart prickled inside his chest. It was sick, but he actually liked her insolence and penchant for meanness. He found it stimulating and amusing and disturbingly hot.

Hyde's esteem shone in his smile as he slid his fingers into her hair and whispered to her. "C'mere." His smile faded into a deep kiss, as did the world around him when her tongue found his and began to play, allowing him the taste of its sweet underbelly for a brief moment. "God, Jackie. Why the hell are we even here? Let's just go back and order in."

"No, Steven," she pouted, leaning back and avoiding his lips. "You promised me a nice dinner. Now come on. Keep your promise."

Hyde sighed. "God damn it. This is why I don't make promises."

"And that is why I don't put out until after my date buys me dinner," Jackie volleyed back as they made their way toward the entrance.

Hyde scoffed, smirking and thinking of the performance she had given him against her kitchen counter only hours before. "Yeah. Too late for that, dollface…"

* * *

Sixteen Minutes Later

Jackie wiggled in her seat and smiled as they waited for their food. "So what do you wanna talk about?"

Hyde shrugged. "I don't know. What do you wanna talk about?"

"Well… Tell me about, I don't know, what you did last summer." She was forcing a smile, wanting him to talk more, to say something. He knew he was being quiet, but what was there to say anymore? The more they talked, the more they touched, the deeper inside she slid.

Sighing, Hyde cleared his throat. "I, uh, I didn't really do anything. Jess…" Crap. Hyde stopped and licked his lips. "I went to Florida for a week."

"Oh," Jackie responded awkwardly, but quickly put on a small smile. "Well...How was it?"

Hyde nodded. "Hot."

"So… Jessica went with you?"

"Yeah." Hyde shifted in his seat. God damn. This was the last thing he wanted to talk about. It wasn't going to lead anywhere civil or keep the peace that they had enjoyed all day. Unfortunately, though, inside all the calm, guilt brewed frustration. "It was, uh, some thing with her dad. This work thing. He's…" Hyde stopped. "You know what, it doesn't matter."

"No, I wanna know. Like," Trailing off before she even got started, Jackie fidgeted with her silverware. "How did you meet her anyway? I don't think anyone ever told me."

"It's not important how I met her," Hyde replied, sitting back in his seat. "Can we talk about something else?"

He watched as her expression retreated back into that harmless scowl that typically only served to announce the pout that would soon follow. "Well I wanna know."

Hyde sighed loudly. "Why? I don't wanna know how you met Colin."

"Well why not?" Jackie's scowl deepened.

"Because I just don't, okay," he wound up snapping at her before lowering his voice again. "I don't give a crap how you met him."

"Fine." Jackie pushed her silverware away. "I just wanted to have something to talk about. You don't have to be a jerk about it." Saving them both, the waitress walked up with a large, round tray full of food. Hyde looked up as she smiled down at him.

"Are your drink's okay? You need a fill up?"

"No, we're good," Jackie answered as his eyes glazed over and fell onto a glass pepper shaker. The thing was, how he met Jessica was none of Jackie's business. It wasn't as if she ever gave a shit before. And his life, or the people who filled it, had stopped mattering to her long before he ever met Jessica. Plus, if she had been paying attention to anything other than Colin that summer, she would've never even had to ask…

_August 4, 1983_

_Meers Steakhouse - Madison, Wisconsin_

_That summer evening had been a typically warm one. The sun continued to light the fading blue sky, even though it was nearly eight o'clock, and all the girls were walking around in their tiny summer clothes. It was one of those casual summer nights in Wisconsin that were meant to end with someone in jail, if all went well. Donna had finally let Eric out of the house, and Hyde, along with Kelso and Fez, had decided to take him out. And the bars around his college, simply by their reputations, had been deemed more than worthy of the night's planned shenanigans. _

_But first, they had to eat…_

"_So Fez," Eric chimed in, "You're driving us home tonight, right?"_

"_Uh, no," Kelso answered for him, slipping an arm around his foreign friend. "Fezzie here is getting nice and shit-faced tonight, Eric. Someone's gotta wear the dress." He raised one of Brooke's sundresses above the table line. "And it ain't gonna be me or Hyde. I can tell you that right now." _

_Hyde nodded. _

"_Yeah, and I already tried it on," Fez smiled proudly. "Fits like a sexy glove."_

_Eric sat back. "Man, then how are we…"_

"_What can I get you guys to drink?" a female voice cut in. All four men turned eyes to the waitress and, almost immediately, Hyde's mouth fell open dumbly. She was beautiful. Definitely better than the chicks he'd been hanging around with back in Point Place. _

_He glanced across at Kelso, who bounced his eyebrows in silent approval. Hyde only grinned and looked back up to his right where she stood and took everyone else's order. _

_He was the last on her trip around the table. _

"_And what would you like?"_

"_How about…" Hyde smirked arrogantly. "Your phone number." _

_The girl only flipped her eyes up in annoyance. "What would you like __**to drink**__?" she clarified, obviously irritated with the poorly thought out come on. _

_Realizing his mistake, Hyde's smile fell. "A coke." _

"_I'll be back to take your orders." Immediately, she walked away and Hyde turned to his friends, rejected._

_Kelso snorted out a laugh. "Burn!" _

_Naturally, they were all laughing and pointing at him and the only thing Hyde could do in response was nod. "Yeah, alright. Keep it up. You won't be laughing when I get her number."_

_Shaking his head, Fez smiled knowingly. "Oh, my snubbed friend. Welcome to Fez's world. __**You**__" he pointed at Hyde, "are not getting" he pointed at the girl, "__**her**__ number."_

"_Just watch me, Fez."_

"_Yeah, man," Eric smiled beside him. "Come on. She's got all her teeth and she's sober. You don't stand a chance." Kelso and Fez bowled over in their laughter._

_Hyde smiled and nodded some more. "Hilarious, Forman. But I can get that chick. Easy."_

"_Man, you have no clue," Eric told him, pointing at their oblivious waitress as she passed by. "That chick… goes to UW."_

_Sneering, Hyde scoffed at the information. "So? And how do you know anyway?"_

"_I had her in one of my classes, man. She doesn't date guys like us."_

"_So what are you saying? You don't think I can get her?"_

"_Oh, I know you can't get her," Eric chuckled._

"_Oh!" Kelso rang out to Hyde. "You're gonna take that, man?"_

_Pitching his eyebrow, Hyde flashed a challenging look at his best friend. He had gotten plenty of unattainable chicks that thought they were better than him. Those ones always liked him the best. "I can get her if I want her, Forman." _

_Eric tossed up his hands. "Whatever you say, man."_

_From his seat, Hyde scanned the restaurant. Finding the little blond almost immediately, he watched her for a moment. Oh yeah, he could get her. "Alright," he turned back to Eric. "How about this? I get her number, you have to stay sober and drive. I don't get it, then I drive." With that, he grinned. _

_And without even an ounce of hesitation, Eric nodded curtly and shook his hand. "Oh, that's a deal."_

_Within a few minutes, four glasses were being set down in front of them by the indifferent waitress in question. "Have you guys decided on your order?"_

_Eric grinned mischievously at Hyde. "I think…Yeah, I think my friend Steven here knows what he wants. Steven? Why don't you tell this nice lady what you want?"_

"_Yeah, we're not ready yet," was all Hyde managed to tell her._

"_I'll come back in a few minutes then." Following a terse smile, she walked away and Hyde jumped up, pointing at Eric. "Watch this shit." He took off briskly behind her and cut her off before she could reach the kitchen door. "Hey," he said, smiling wide._

"_Can I help you?" she asked him, making a quick glance back at the table that he had just come from. "Is there something wrong with your drinks?" She looked concerned, so he shook his head. _

"_No. No. I just…I wanted to say sorry about before. It was a stupid thing to say." Her brown eyes widened slightly and her mouth opened to say something but she stopped, forcing him to continue. Crap. Things were getting awkward, fast. "I'm Hyde…by the way."_

_She nodded warily. "Hyde…But your friend just called you Steven."_

"_Oh. Yeah. Uh… Steven's my first name. Hyde's," God, she wasn't smiling, "…my last."_

"_Oh…Hm. I like Steven much better," she said and stepped around him. _

_Frustrated already, Hyde rolled his eyes. Damn it. "Hey," he followed, moving alongside her as she made her way closer to the kitchen. "I really do want your number."_

"_Look, Steven. You seem really nice. But I don't appreciate being hit on when I'm trying to work. Okay? I'm not trying to be mean. I just…No," she answered, her feature wincing in apology. "I'm sorry."_

_Hyde stood still as he watched her walk away again. "Damn it," he breathed out. What the hell was wrong with this chick? He looked down, suddenly wondering if maybe something was wrong with him. Maybe he was losing his touch. Girls never turned him down. They chased him, not the other way around. _

_He returned to his seat with a glum look, trying to ignore his friends' smug grins. "I just need some more time…"_

…_One hour later…_

_During their entire meal, he watched her move back and forth, never able to find a good moment to catch her without coming off like a lunatic. The more the evening went on, the more it became about her and not the bet. He wasn't going to let the morons know that, though. But she had him intrigued. She was hot, yeah, but more than that, she was disinterested. Fuck. Why wasn't she interested? _

_Folding his arms, Hyde pushed down a scowl after she walked past him again without a single glance in his direction. Fuck._

_Kelso sat back and groaned. "Man, I'm full. You guys ready to hit the road or what?"_

"_Yep. Sure am," Eric taunted, dropping his keys in front of Hyde. "There you go, man. Watch the clutch. It sticks."_

_Hyde grimaced. "We haven't left, yet, Forman."_

"_Well you better hurry up, man, 'cause as soon as Fez gets back from the bathroom, we're headin' out," Eric asserted, backed up by a nodding Kelso._

"_Yeah, I've got a dress to get on Fez, man," Kelso explained, gesticulating with his hand. "So, let's move this along." _

"_Fine. Crap!" Hyde stood up and started to search for his illusive waitress. Finding her in conversation with a co-worker, he felt like he was going to be sick. Why the hell did she make him so nervous? She's just a chick. She's just a chick. She's just a chick. _

_Hyde stepped up to her. "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" Visibly exasperated, the red-hued blonde sighed as her friend rolled her eyes and walked away, but remained quiet. "Look. I'm sorry," he began, "about…before. I know you think I'm just some dirt bag customer, hitting on you, but I'm really pretty normal…mostly. I just wanna take you out. Just once. That's it."_

_At that, her shoulders fell. "Look…Steven," Hyde had to keep from making a face at the sound of his first name. Only Jackie ever chose to use 'Steven', and this girl was already proving to be a similar pain in the ass by following in the brunette's tenacious footsteps. "You're cute," she said, "and you're friends are really funny, but I'm just not interested. Okay? I'm really sorry."_

"_No. Don't be. It's cool." Hyde nodded, for the first time in a long time, feeling the sting of rejection as she, once again, walked away. _

_Man, Fez's world sucked…_

… _Three days later…_

_It was a Monday night. And Hyde was alone. As usual. And as he sat quietly, one indolent finger made small circles on the mahogany surface of the bar, rubbing in the small drops of condensation that had fallen from his whiskey glass. _

_In the middle of all the noise, hidden inside the crowd, Hyde closed his eyes. Something was going on with him lately. He was so fucking tired. And it was hard for him to admit it to himself, but he was lonely, too. Everyone had someone but him, and watching __**her**__ be so damned happy with her new boyfriend was still bothering him._

_He just wanted to be there again, somewhere clean and warm. Someway loved. With someone soft. Someplace quiet. Where a female voice whispered things to him. Things that were real. Things that stayed past the next sunrise. _

"_Hey," he heard in a gentle voice, somewhere near his right ear, and turned toward the sound. "Steven, right?" Her features were a little softer tonight, and a large round tray was tucked between her arm and torso. She was even better than he remembered._

"_Yeah," was all he said, his pride buried far beneath the sulk of his shoulders. Because the thing was… he had come back here for her. He hadn't been able to shake her loose from his thoughts. This girl who seemed to see nothing in him. Which made her the most honest girl he'd met in years. _

_But now, he was rethinking his decision to come. She was probably going to call the damn cops on him for stalking her or some crap. _

"_Where are your friends," she asked instead, her head tilting down to catch his sight, her chestnut eyes much more intrigued by him than they had been three nights before. _

"_Oh." Tapping his fingers on the bar, Hyde tried to scrap together a lucid sentence. The whiskey was already getting to him. "Uh, the one with the goofy accent is with the tall, dumb one. And the skinny one is at home with his girlfriend."_

"_And you?" she pressed, her voice sounding so much more welcoming than he remembered._

"_I'm right here." Hyde looked up to see her. "With you," he added with none of the arrogance from their first encounter. He felt so stupid, and he knew it was wearing all over his face. To his surprise, though, she sat down next to him. But she only watched him, the comforting look of nervousness worrying discreetly over her face. _

_Hyde gave her a small smile. "What's your name?"_

"_Jessica," she said, the slightest hint of her shyness coming through. But he liked it. He liked her. And he liked what he saw in her eyes, even though it made him a little uncomfortable. She saw something, finally. _

"_You know, I was thinking," Hyde said quietly, suddenly feeling her timidity. "If you were to tell me what time you get off of work, then I could save all my lame come-ons for then."_

_Hyde grinned, and she laughed, only the slightest noise escaping, and he knew, almost immediately, that he could hang out with this girl for a while. There was something about her. She was normal. And real. And warm. Without an answer, though, she stood. And as she walked behind him to leave, Hyde was struck with more of the usual disappointment. _

_He grabbed his drink. Fuck. At least he had tried._

"_Eleven," came whispering into his left ear, and he turned, smirking subtly as he watched her gently tuck her bottom lip behind her teeth and walk away, her bright smile bringing that sinking feeling back to his chest. Sinking, but without the pain. It was that thick, heavy sensation that felt good. __**That**__ he could handle. And Jessica, the twenty-two year old waitress from Madison, he would soon win over…_

_She would fall in love with him on a Sunday afternoon at the beach, the day before she finally gave herself to him. And every day after, she would make sure he knew. She would make sure he felt it. And he did. Through the last mile of it all, she had held him and whispered those words that made him forget who he had once been. Because with her, he was new. And in that second chance, he had thrived…_

Hyde wondered, as a plate of food was placed down in front of him, why was he doing this to her? What in the hell was the matter with him?

"Steven?"

Slowly emerging from his trance, Hyde stared at the pepper shaker that sat in the middle of their table. "Yeah?"

"Baby?"

The soft tone in Jackie's voice snapped him out of it, though, and he looked up to see the sweeter of her pouts, the one that naturally formed over her features when she was worried. Her eyes were wide, giving him that puppy dog look that made him sickeningly weak in the gut. He assumed that she had no idea that she was doing it. Or did she? Hyde blinked. Whatever. It didn't matter. Because there it was. In the pouting flesh.

The reason he was doing this.

And she wanted somebody else.

Regardless, Hyde grinned at her. He wasn't going to dwell on it, because he still had four days to give to her all the things that he had learned to give to Jessica in his maturity. Four days to make it right, before she went running back to_ him_.

"You know. When we were younger," Hyde grabbed his fork and knife and cut into his steak, "I thought you were really cute."

Haughtily, Jackie smiled and placed her napkin over her lap. "You did?"

"Uh huh," he said and leaned forward to bring a piece of steak to her lips. "Taste it."

"So was this before or after you hated me?" She took the bite. "Mm. It's good."

"Uh, during," was his response.

They both smiled knowingly at each other, and looked down, ironically finding _this_ moment to allow some shyness to seep through.

"Anyway," Hyde cleared his throat and cut another piece of steak for himself, "I was just gonna say that if I had known how hot you were gonna turn out, I would've kicked Kelso's ass when we were nine and stolen you way back then."

Immediately, her face sparkled and lit up as she twirled her fork inside her linguini. In her pleasure, though, she narrowed her eyes playfully and looked up. "And how do you know I would've _let_ you be my boyfriend way back then, Steven."

Hyde scoffed. "Please. You wanted me." After taking a drink of his Coke, he continued. "I saw that look you gave me by the tetherball court. After I wrapped Kelso's head to the pole." He put another piece of steak into his mouth and grinned at her with self-satisfaction as he chewed.

Jackie tucked in her chin in. "You know, I was actually kind of impressed by that."

"Of course you were," he replied.

Taking a bite of her veggies, Jackie only smiled at him. He was partly right and partly wrong. It was strange, though, to think of those days. Who would've known? Who would have even imagined that the scrappy boy that lived in that dump of a house on Chester Street, who was always getting into fights and into trouble, would be giving her body the chills fifteen long years later?

She found herself grateful for her lack of foresight as a child. She could've missed all the pain and heartbreak he ended up causing her, but she would've had to miss all the things between. She would've had to miss the moments like these. The little things.

A minute or two passed, without another word, and as the setting sun finally dipped below the horizon outside their window, Hyde smiled and raised his fork to her lips. "Taste…"

* * *

Fifty-Eight Minutes Later

Kenosha Medical Center

Hidden inside a dark enclave near the janitor's closet, Jackie waited for Hyde.Her mind was a thousand miles away, though, on the lower west side of Manhattan. She was finding it impossible not to wonder where Colin was. Not to wonder who he was with. And that craving for him returned. She hadn't seen him in so long, and worse, she hadn't heard from him in three days.

Like she always did during Colin's trips, Jackie found herself missing him and the way he held her body against his. Because inside his arms breathed the security that she had sought her whole life and she had come to rely on that safe feeling. He would never intentionally hurt her or abandon her without explanation. At least, she didn't think so. He loved her, and, today, she missed that feeling of knowing just how much.

Pulling her head forward, Jackie wiped her eyes and realized that her hands were shaking. It was another one of those mild panic attacks that arrived when she was alone and given time to think. Colin was wonderful. Most of the time. But he had his pride and would undoubtedly leave her if he knew what she had done. And he would never forgive her. She knew it. But she couldn't bring herself to send Hyde away. She just wasn't ready yet. He had been ripped away from her so many times and, this time, at least, she had the incredible gift of knowing that it was coming. This time she could let him go on her schedule. In her way.

"It's all clear." Startled, Jackie looked up to see Hyde's face and then inhaled deeply as his strong hands slid around her waist and pulled her in. "Hey. You okay?" he asked.

Jackie smiled, her lips grazing his rough cheek while he wrapped himself all the way around her. "I'm fine," she said and coiled her arms up around his neck.

Leaving in that subsequent breath was a slight sigh. God, he was so nice to hold onto and it felt so incredible to be held onto so tightly in return. But that's all there was. That's all they had—a few memories and a physical connection. She wasn't stupid. She knew it was all that came with his hugs. Lust, and nothing more.

Her hands steady, Jackie closed her eyes.

She wouldn't send him away, though. Not yet. This was her second chance, her last chance, to go back. To change it. To redo those final hours until they were something to be proud of. Something to remember. It was now Monday, and she had four days to let go of all the dreams she had imagined for them, of all the plans they had made together. She had four full days to take a clearer mental picture of all the things she wanted to memorize about him, without the pain of his betrayal turning it all to black. Four days to exchange all the bad memories with the very best parts of him. And in four days, somehow, she would be able to do all that. She squeezed him, and hoped…

* * *

A Few Minutes Later

Room 445B

There was only the high-pitched beep of the EKG machine that offered any distraction as Jackie and Hyde stood on either side of Leo's bed. Both stared down at the sleeping ex-hippie. Both wondered if would ever rouse again. He looked so peaceful, so content in the depths of his long sleep. It was strange to see him this way. So quiet. Usually he had so much to say. And even though none of it made any sense, it was a hell of a lot better than this.

Jackie glanced at Hyde. "Do you think he can hear us?"

"I dunno," Hyde answered, shrugging, and looked up at her. "But I did see this show once where people were in comas for years and woke up, able to recall exact conversations between the nurses and doctors." Hyde smirked. "Mostly the dirty stuff."

Laughing, Jackie pinched at the material of his shirt. "That would be you, you pig. Leo wouldn't…" As Jackie looked back down at the sleeping man, the sound of her words still resonating from her lips, his eyes snapped open wide, making her scream out. "Ahhh!"

More terrified than she, Leo screamed, too. "Ahhh!"

"Ahhh!!"

"Ahhh!"

Panicked, Hyde swatted over and over at her arm. "Hey! You're gonna give him another heart attack, man! Calm down." He turned to Leo. "Hey! Leo, man?"

"Oh my God," was all Jackie could say as she clutched her chest and watched Hyde shake him.

Leo only continued to gawk at her, though, his eyes widening. "Hey, I know you," he said, his voice still gravelly from sleep. "You're Loudgirl." Dumbly, Jackie nodded. And to her surprise, Leo smiled brightly. "Oh, man. I gotta find Hyde. He's been looking all over for you."

"Leo. Hey," Hyde attempted again, shaking his friend, but the old man was too focused on his ex-girlfriend.

"When'd you get back from Chicago?" he asked her, clearly astounded by the sight of the still small, but much quieter than he remembered, brunette.

Jackie shook her head. "No, Leo. I haven't been in Chicago."

"Well no wonder he couldn't find you," Leo responded dejectedly. "He's been really bummed since you left. You should've come back, man. That wasn't cool."

Hyde shook him again. "Leo." To no luck.

"I didn't go anywhere, Leo," Jackie responded. "You just saw me last Christmas."

"Leo," Hyde tried again, this time grabbing Leo's head and forcing it toward himself. Leo's eyes grew again in surprise.

"Hyde!"

Relieved, Hyde smiled. "Hey, man. How are you feeling?"

"Hyde. You'll never guess who I found for you, man." At those words, spoken with so much excitement, Hyde decided to just play along.

"Who'd you find, Leo?"

"I found Loudgirl," Leo exclaimed, so obviously proud of himself. "Now you don't have to be so mopey all the time, man." Hearing that, Hyde could swear that every drop of his blood had rocketed up to his face, because it felt hot, especially his cheeks as he looked over at Jackie, who tilted her head at him, confused.

Grinning uneasily at her, Hyde patted the old man's arm. "That's awesome, Leo. Thanks, man." Then he shrugged at his ex, having not a clue what in the hell made Leo say that. "I'm gonna go get the nurse," he told Jackie. "I'll be right back. Don't let him get up."

Jackie nodded and watched him leave. Sensing wide blue eyes boring into her, she looked back down at a smiling Leo.

"Hi."

Painfully, Jackie smiled. "Hi, Leo." Still intrigued by the random comments he had made, she checked the room's entrance. Hyde was long gone. So, as an impish gleam crossed over her face, she leaned down. "Leo, what were you talking about?" she whispered. "What do you mean he was looking for me…"

* * *

Several Minutes Later

"…We tried to call you but no one answered," Leo's nurse explained as she walked into the room with Hyde following close behind. Her first stop was at Leo's I/V and medication bags to check his levels, where she smiled at Jackie and turned around. "He woke up about four hours ago," she told Hyde. "Dr. Cahill already came in to examine him. He's stable for now. But the doctor wants to keep here for at least another week."

At the news, Hyde couldn't help but shine. The smile that was planted on his face, most likely, would to be there for the rest of the day. His friend would be okay…

* * *

Forty-seven Minutes Later

From across the room, Hyde sat in the big, comfy blue chair and watched them, a small smile wearing through as they argued. It was amazing how childish the two of them were in each others' presence. He had forgotten how ridiculous they could be. But it was so fucking entertaining that there was no way in hell he was going to step in and mediate.

"You read it," Jackie said, re-fluffing the mad lib magazine in her hand as she sat on the bed beside Leo.

"You read it," he retorted.

"Leo! Read it!"

"No! You read it."

Growling loudly, Jackie shimmied in her seat. "Read it, Leo," she demanded.

"No! You read it!"

"Leo!" Jackie cried out. "You wrote it!"

Leo frowned. "I did?"

"Yes."

"Wow. I've never written anything before." Leo smiled at Hyde. "I'm an author, man."

With an impressed affect, Hyde nodded and, suddenly, Leo turned to Jackie with a glare. "Gimme that," he said, snatching the Mad Lib out of her hands. Jackie simply rolled her eyes and shook her head at Hyde, who could do nothing but chuckle in silence. It felt strange to have them both in the same room again like this. It was memory provoking, and actually kind of cool.

Leo fluffed the magazine and shot one more dirty look at Jackie before beginning. "An amusement park is always fun to visit on a hot summer dog. When you get there, you can rent a Hyde and go for a swim. And there are lots of Canadian things to eat." Leo looked up and smiled brightly at his brunette co-writer. "Hey, this is getting really good." Looking back down, he continued. "You can start off with a hot dog on a Loudgirl with mustard, relish, and windows on it. Then you can have a buttered ear of shoe with a nice…" In the blink of an eye, the smile that had been clinging to Leo's face let go, and his eyes wavered shut.

Terrified, Jackie looked up. "Steven!"

Hyde shot up from his seat and rushed over to them. "Hey. Leo. You alright, man?"

A long moment later, Leo opened sullen, but clear, eyes to the young man that seemed, now, to be his only friend in the world. "Hey, Hyde?" Both Jackie and Hyde exhaled. "You remember how we said that you were my father and I was your son. You know, since we don't have any family of our own."

With a breath of reprieve, Hyde nodded slowly and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Yeah. I remember, Leo."

"Well, I actually did have a son once, man," Leo reminded him.

"I know."

At that, Leo smiled, a spacey look glazing over his eyes. "We used to have loads of fun when he was little, too. He was a cool kid, man. His mom and me just didn't see eye to eye all the time, you know, so things didn't work out."

Quietly, Jackie and Hyde just listened. It seemed a rare moment of clarity which, Hyde knew, as Leo aged, were falling farther and farther between.

"She was the coolest chick, though, man," Leo added. "Biggest green eyes you'll ever see." Sensing her presence, Leo smiled over at Jackie and pointed at her left eye. "Like that one." Then he moved his attention to Hyde. "Hey. Do you think…Do you think he'd wanna see me, man? My son?"

"Yeah, Leo. Of course, he'd wanna see you. You're his dad, man."

Leo smiled at Hyde. "Would you call him for me?"

Oddly, Hyde failed to answer right away and Jackie couldn't figure out why. She waited, though, her interest piquing further when he glanced at her with the same troubled look he had worn earlier in the day. "Sure," he eventually replied to Leo as he drew in a heavy breath. "Whatever you want, man."

With a smile, Leo picked up the discussion again. "Last time I saw him and his mom, they were in Green Bay where she used to…"

"Man, I have been looking all over for you," Kelso's voice interrupted as he rushed into the room and smiled at Leo. "Oh, hey Leo." And then turned back to Hyde. "That chick called me again today, man. And Brooke was right there. If I hadn't been there to answer the phone, she would have totally found out! You gotta help me, man."

Standing up from the bed, Jackie walked into the conversation with concern. "Well, where is she now, Michael?"

"At home," he derided. "God, Jackie. Keep up."

"Well what the hell do you want me to do?" Hyde asked him.

"I don't know. Talk to that girl Allison for me, man. Get her off my back about her friend." Just as an idea hit him, Kelso snapped his fingers. "Hey. Just put the moves on her. She asked about you."

"Oh, no, no, no," Jackie cut in matter-of-factly. "He is NOT putting the moves on some skank just to fix your screw up!" She stepped in front of Hyde. "You're just going to have to tell Brooke what you did and hope that she lets you keep all your man parts," she informed him, folding her arms with not one nugget of sympathy left for her ex.

Kelso's face scrunched up in anger. "Oh, really? So I guess that means you're gonna tell Colin about your dirty week with Hyde, right, _Jackie!"_

"No!" she replied, the inflection in her voice rising. "'Cause I didn't knock Steven up."

Grabbing her waist, Hyde grinned from behind her. "That would be a neat trick, though."

"Fine!" Kelso screeched, tossing his hand in the air as he started to pace the cream-colored linoleum beneath his feet. "Well what the hell am I gonna do then?"

Like tennis spectators, Jackie and Hyde watched him briskly walk from one side of the room to the other, over and over again. Neither was going to say a word, in hopes that the unruly pest would just skedaddle and leave them alone.

"I dunno, man. But we can't help you. We're, uh…" Hyde took a deep breathe. Think. "We're gonna be out of town." He grinned and shrugged his weakly feigned apology.

"Where are you guys goin?"

Jackie frowned at Hyde. "Yeah, where are we going?"

Nervously, Hyde's eyes shifted left to Jackie and then back to his clueless friend. "Uh, Green bay."

Kelso scoffed. "Well then you're taking me and Brooke with you."

"No fucking way, man," Hyde blurted out.

"Taking you where?" Donna asked, Eric following closely behind her as they made their way inside of Leo's fourth floor room.

FUCK!

"Nowhere," Hyde replied quickly.

"To Green bay," he heard Leo shout out. Damn it. "Hyde and Loudgirl are gonna find my son for me." Both Hyde and Jackie winced and shut their eyes.

Luckily, the clueless redhead hadn't seen a thing. Her eyes were set squarely on the patient she had come to visit, her jaw dropping. "Leo! Oh my God!" She rushed over and hugged him, flashing a smile at Hyde as she did. "When did this happen? Why didn't you call us?"

Hyde turned his hands up. "He just woke up a few hours ago, man. He's doing fine, though."

"So, uh, you and Jackie are gonna find his son?" Eric asked him suspiciously.

"Yup," Kelso grinned from his seat on the big, blue chair. "Hyde and _Jackie_. Isn't that nice of them?" The stupid smirk on Kelso's face made Hyde wonder where the nearest tetherball court was located. He was going to strangle him. "They're taking Brooke and me, too. Right, Hyde."

Hyde only glared at his friend. What the hell could he say?

Leaving Leo's side, Donna smiled and walked over. "Wow. That sounds awesome. Can we come?"

"No. No," Hyde responded, waving his hand at her. "The whole fuckin' world doesn't need to go."

"It's would just be, what, six of us," Eric argued.

Hyde shook his head. "No, 'cause if you guys go then Fez'll get all, _'How come WE never go on road trips together?"_ he mimicked, in the foreigner's accent.

"No, he won't," Kelso said and stood up, joining the mini-powwow in the middle of the room. "He has to work all week."

"Yeah, but we don't even know that his son is actually _in_ Green Bay," Hyde lied, making a quick glance at Jackie, silently begging for help.

She looked nervous, though. "Steven, just… Who cares," she said through tight teeth. "You're making a really big deal out of it, for no reason."

Eric smirked at Hyde. "Yeah, Hyde, what are you freaking out about, man?"

"I'm not freaking out." Hyde was freaking the hell out. It felt like the walls were closing in around him. And fucking Jackie. She wasn't helping at all.

"Ok, then. So we're all going to Green Bay," he heard Donna say and felt a cold sweat strike his body. Fuck. Then it hit him. Jessica, Donna…

"Yay," Kelso exclaimed. "I'll go call Brooke."

"Crap." Anger was starting to burrow into the worst places of Hyde's mind and he looked up at Donna. "Oh, and I need to talk to you." He glared at Jackie and then at Eric as he grabbed Donna's arm. "Alone!"

When they got into the hallway, Hyde let her go. "What the hell did you tell Jess?"

Donna cringed. "Oh! Yeah. Sorry. I figured you'd told her about the weddings."

"Yeah. Well I hadn't. You know how she gets about Jackie."

"I know and I'm sorry." From the apologetic wince she continued to give him, Hyde's anger began to fade. She obviously hadn't meant to screw him. "I didn't think Jackie being there would freak her out, you know, but I forgot about the Halloween date and, apparently," Donna narrowed her eyes at him, "you were being a total ass the other day."

"I wasn't." A tilt of her head and Hyde threw up his hands. "Fine. Whatever. But you just made it worse." Together, they sighed. And Hyde realized that his was out of relief. Donna didn't know shit. Everything was still ok.

Hyde looked around as Donna stood awkwardly, waiting for him to say something. But, with no more cause for concern, he was back to his quiet self. Noticing a nearby bench, he felt exhaustion hit him and walked over to sit down. "Now she's pissed at me."

Donna shook her head and sat down next to him. "I don't know why either. I told her you and Jackie were never really that close."

Hyde grimaced and looked left at her. "What?"

"Yeah, I mean. You dated for a while but…"

"We dated for two years," he reminded her.

"Yeah, I know but it's not like you were in love with her or anything." The moment her sentence was complete, Donna downcast into a pensive frown. She was going to correct herself. "And even if you had been," she amended. "It was over a long time ago."

His eyebrow flared up. "Yeah, well, Jess sees it another way."

"Well, we were there," Donna assured him. "We know the truth. Do you want me to talk to her?"

"No. I'll take care of it," he scowled at her, wondering if she was only saying that make him feel better or if she really believed that he had never loved Jackie. Truth was, it didn't matter what Donna thought. Like she had said, it was over a long time before this night anyway.

Placing her hand on his knee, Donna gave him a sincere look of apology. "I'm really sorry, Hyde." She stood up.

Hyde stopped her, though. "Hey, tell everyone that I'll be right back. I have a phone call I gotta make."

"Yeah. Okay…"

* * *

A Few Minutes Later

"Yeah. Room 1016," Hyde asked the hotel clerk who answered the phone and waiting as the phone rang.

"_Hello?"_

Hyde closed his eyes. "Hey."

"_Hey."_ Her voice was strong tonight. Not in anger, but with something that made him a little uncomfortable.

"You still mad at me?" he asked her.

"_I don't know. Should I be?"_

"No," he said quickly. Yes. Damn it. "Look. Jess. I didn't tell you 'cause I knew if you knew she was there, you'd freak out."

He heard her scoff. Yeah, she was still pissed. _"I only 'freaked out' because you kept it from me, Steven."_ She went quiet again, which wasn't like her, but anger seemed to fuel her mouthiness again_. "God, Steven. What is going on with you lately? You haven't called me in three days. You won't answer your phone. You didn't even call after I hung up on you. And you've been acting weird ever since I left."_

"What the hell do you expect, Jess? The store's gone. Leo almost died. It hasn't exactly been a great fucking two weeks, you know?"

From across the line, Jessica sighed. _"Fine. I'm sorry… I just miss you, okay. And Jackie… God, it just seems like every time I turn around lately, I'm hearing something about you and her. And I didn't even know that Colin was out of town until Donna told me. I guess I just…thought…"_

"Well stop. Okay?"

"_Then stop hanging out with your ex, Steven_." There was a deep breath. _"I trust you, baby. I do. I just don't like my boyfriend going on little dates with his ex-girlfriend while I'm way over here. Why can't you understand that? God, you acted like a complete asshole that time I told you Matt called me."_

Turning his eyes to the ceiling, Hyde sighed. Damn it. He had acted like a dumb ass about the whole thing. "Fine. I get it. Alright. I won't… hang out with Jackie so much."

"_Thank you," _she responded.

"I gotta go, though. I'm at the hospital and Leo just woke up."

"_He did?! How is he?"_

"Fine, I think," Hyde explained. "But, he wants me to find his son again."

"_But… the last time…"_

"I know. I don't think he remembers, though. I think I'm just gonna have to go to Green Bay and talk to him in person this time."

"_Ok."_

Hyde smiled. Fuck. She was so understanding all the damn time. "K… I'll call you in a couple days?"

"_Yeah."_ Less than _what_ she was saying, it was how she was saying things that flared up his guilt. She sounded lonely. _"I miss you so much, Steven. Only four more days, though. And I'll be home."_ Her intonation rose. She was seeking a response that would make her feel better, that would tell her that she was missed, too. As usual, she was practically begging for scraps.

"Yeah," was all he had to offer, though. Guilt and self-loathing had pushed everything else down. "Bye…Jess…"

Slowly, he placed the receiver down, before he could force feed her one more lie. He did miss her, he missed a lot of things about her, but she didn't deserve his half-assed replies, not after what she had said, or the way she had said it. He couldn't match her passion today, not that he ever could.

Hyde took a step back as a wave of fresh remorse approached and smacked him in the face. Something beneath his sternum began to churn and hurt like all hell. There was a girl, hundreds of miles away, thinking of him and missing him. And here he stood, feeling nearly nothing but guilt in return, guilt for wanting someone else so selfishly.

Accepting his culpability, Hyde headed back to Leo's room. He wanted to stop seeing Jackie, but it was easier said than done. The nights just never ended that way. They were ending in a soft bed together, naked and comfortable between layers of warm sheets, and his body was always finding its way inside of hers. No matter what he told himself during the daylight hours, the nights would come, and there was never any turning back.

But he had to remind himself that his ex-girlfriend was just that, his _ex_-girlfriend, and that this, this sick feeling, was all just memories of her, fucking with him.

Hyde sighed. Four days and he would be free. He walked and hoped...

* * *

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Jackie's Apartment

9:06 p.m.

Jackie's apartment was dark, minus the soft glow of a single lamp that sat on her nightstand; and eerily quiet. Still, Hyde had to listen attentively as he moved closer toward her voice. To his frustration, though, it wasn't growing any louder, even as he stepped slowly into her pitch black living room. Luckily for him, she lay spread out on the kitchen floor, so a subtle echo of her words served him nicely.

He thought.

Hyde stopped when he realized that she was crying. "…I know … I'm not, baby. I just miss you."

Those words stinging more than he thought they would, Hyde sat down on her couch and shut his eyes, resting his head in his hands as she continued.

"I was thinking about you today … Yeah … You were?"

Her crying continued unfettered, and only seemed to intensify, but her voice remained so soft and intimate that Hyde could barely decipher her words. Curiosity, though, forced him to pick up what he could.

"Me, too … I know. I just really feel like I can't do any of this waiting anymore … No, I don't mean it like … You've said that before, though … Well I wasn't sure if you really meant it … Well, no … Well, I start to miss you, too … Of course, I want to … You're still coming home on Sunday? … Ok."

Hyde heard a small laugh, but it only made him feel like shit. Why in the hell was he even here, sitting on her couch, listening to her make fucking cooing noises at her boyfriend. It made him sick and he brought himself to the very edge of the seat but he couldn't bring himself to stand. She was still talking and he wanted to know what the hell she was telling him, wondering what bullshit he was telling her back.

"Uh huh," Jackie giggled, her voice rising. "Yes … Maybe … Would you tell him to shut up … Uh huh … Ok … Yes … I promise … Say please first … Colin! … Say it! … Fine … Well, ok. I love you, too, then, baby" One more giggle. "Bye."

The sound of a click prompted Hyde to stand, and without waiting for her, he walked back into her bedroom to grab his things.

A room away, and feeling as if an anvil had been removed from her shoulders, Jackie glided into her living room and sat down on the couch. She took a deep breath and smiled, satisfied that that part of her life was still in tact. So, she moved her focus to the other and stood back up to go see what Hyde was up to. Though, before she even made it a few steps, he walked out from her bedroom and stopped.

"Hey," he said right as she noticed that his shoes were on and his bag was clutched in his left hand.

Jackie frowned. "Where are you going?"

"Oh. Yeah. I was, uh," He made his way over to her door, where she met him, and slipped his arm around her waist for a hug. "I'm gonna head out," he said and kissed her cheek.

"What? No. Why?" she asked, hugging onto him as tightly as she could. He had no answer, though. He was only nuzzling his face into her neck and tickling her skin. His kisses were soon being peppered below her ear, growing heavier with each one, and she closed her eyes, knowing. "You heard my phone call."

"Yeah."

At that, Jackie pushed him back slightly until their lips were nearly touching. "Don't leave. Just because I miss him doesn't mean I'm ready for you to go."

"Jackie…"

"No, Steven. You're staying."

"I'm going, Jackie," he asserted, startled by the instant pout that puffed her lips and cheeks. He was surprised at how quickly she thought to revert back to her old tactics. He wanted to smile—she knew what she was doing—but raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement instead. He wasn't giving in this time. "You can pout all you want, Jackie. I'm still going." She only continued to stare at him, so pathetically, as her hands clutched his shirt. "I'm not trying to be a dick here, Jackie," he added. "I really think it's time I go." And as he watched her, not a single feature on her face moved, except for her bottom lip which protruded out shamelessly. He only stared at her. "Jackie." The lip came out further. Damn it. "Fine, but I'm going home—without you—tomorrow. Okay?"

Jackie smiled. "Ok." She gave him a kiss and took his duffel bag from his hand. "Now go to your car and go get that baggy out of your secret spot," she ordered and patted his chest before walking into her room.

Hyde watched her go and sighed. "Crap…"

* * *

Forty-Five Minutes Later

Complete slow down. Incredible haze. And naturally, Hyde smiled. A blurred trail of images accompanied him as he looked to this left where she stood nearly bare in his t-shirt. There was a deep fog between his brain and her body, though, one that held him inside himself and kept the bad shit at bay. Fuck, why hadn't he thought of it before? His stash. When all else fails, get jacked. God, she was brilliant. He smiled again, blissfully, slowly. He couldn't help it, especially when she twisted her head back to smile at him, her eyes appearing just as sleepy as his. Her smile, just as drowsy. Man. She was the coolest square chick he'd ever known.

"C'mere, Steven."

"Uh, uh. I like it right here," he said, patting her bed. "You come here."

"I'm looking for a record."

Hyde grabbed another joint from the baggy on her bedside table and grimaced as he lit it. "Well if it has tambourines or a synthesizer, don't bother," he said, exhaling it out.

"Steven, don't be such an ass." Hyde looked up and smiled as she continued to sift and raised her index finger. "I have something I think you might like."

"I doubt that, but go ahead and try," he offered, willing himself not to burn her too bad when she whipped out Devo or some shit, thinking they were cool. To his astonishment, though, she raised one of the best records ever created.

"Where the hell did you get that?" he asked her.

"You."

Hyde frowned. "You stole it?"

"Sure did."

Chuckling, Hyde set the joint down on a can of 7up. "Man, I always just figured Sam stole it when she left." That earned him a glare. "Sorry." Guilt pushed him to his feet and he ambled over to her while she slipped the record from its sleeve, and gently wrapped his arms around her, watching as she placed it over the turntable.

"I stole it after that whore showed up," Jackie explained. "I didn't want her taking my name away from me."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "She wouldn't have, Jackie."

"Why not, Steven? She took you."

Hearing that truth, Hyde's shoulders fell. She had no idea how guilty he was feeling over that, his culpability becoming more and more evident as these nights came searching for them, and as all these reminders found their way into conversation. Jackie spun around with a smile, though, as the crackling of Led Zeppelin III in motion began to fill her bedroom.

"I just wanted it," she said and gave him a quick kiss.

The beginning chords of 'Tangerine' began as she slid past him and Hyde shook his head, a small grin forming over his lips. She really knew what she was doing.

"C'mere Steven," he heard come from the behind him and turned around. Slowly, he made his way over and sat down beside her, complying as she placed her hand on his chest and directed him onto to his back. "Lay down, baby."

_Measuring a summer's day_

Giving to her what was left of his weed-destroyed will, Hyde simply watched Jackie as she gently straddled and settled over him with a deliberate smile. The only movement he made was to slide his hands beneath the thin hem of her shirt to hold her hips steady as she picked up the smoking joint by his head.

_I only find it slips away to grey_

Anticipating her intentions, Hyde watched as she took a hit from it. Damn. He missed this. Jessica refused to smoke, refused to get high with him. And that meant there was a void, an absence of what he saw as the best parts of a relationship. The ridiculous laughter, the mischief, the high as hell sex, and of course, he thought, as Jackie leaned down, the shotguns. And as she placed her lips to his to give him her breath, the past came back to life…

_The hours, they bring me pain…_

… _April 2, 1978 …_

…Tangerine, Tangerine  
Living reflections from a dream

_Led Zeppelin III had been spinning on his record player while Mrs. Forman did her annual spring cleaning upstairs. Every window in the whole house was wide open, letting in the first warm breeze of the new season and blowing away the staleness of winter. And __**she**__, she lay beside him on his bed, exhaling the last of her smoke toward the ceiling._

"_I like this song," Jackie commented quietly. "It's pretty." _

_An arm tucked behind his head, Hyde grinned and turned it toward her. "Okay. __**Now**__, you can be my chick."_

I was her love, she was my queen  
And now a thousand years between

_As her jaw fell, Jackie's eyes widened and she abruptly rolled over him, stopping when she was straddling the slim lines of his hips. "Steven," she nearly shrieked, slapping two manicured hands down onto his chest. "You say that like I wasn't before."_

_Hyde subdued a smirk. "Well, you didn't like Zeppelin before," He stretched casually, adding to her torment, "and I'm sorry baby, but I was just stringing you along until I found a chick as cute as you that does."_

_Jackie narrowed her eyes. "You're lying."_

"_I'm not," he said, wincing when she punished him by pinching his nipples. "Ow, Jackie."_

Thinking how it used to be  
Does she still remember times like these?

_Quickly, she had settled, though, her arms pillaring either side of his head, while she stared down at him. She knew that he didn't mean it. It flickered in her smiling eyes. There was no use. Everything he'd done up until this moment had given him away. He was in deep. He didn't want to be but, everyday, she was proving him wrong about her and he was losing his will to fight. _

_Hyde stretched out his arm and retrieved their joint from the ashtray. After taking a hit, he raised his chin, gesturing for her to meet him halfway. And like the incredible girlfriend she was turning out to be, Jackie leaned down and parted her lips against his, slowly sucking in his smoke as she entertained his tongue. Jesus. Her kiss was as intoxicating as the cannabis that she had consumed with it. _

To think of us again  
And I do

_Straightening her arms, Jackie blew out the smoke with a frown. "What does 'tangerine' mean?" _

"_She's a chick," Hyde responded immediately, resting his hand on her hip, pleased that she wanted to know about something besides what came out of some dopey fashion magazine. "A groupie." He took another hit and offered Jackie the same, but she shook her head. _

"_Does he love her?" she asked, waiting for his response as if he knew the answer to every question that ever fraught the universe._

_Blowing out his smoke, Hyde shook his head. "Page wrote it. Not Plant." S__he looked so confused that he smiled. "The guitar player wrote it," he explained._

_Jackie frowned. "Oh… Well did __**he**__ love her?"_

_Hyde thought about it carefully. "You know, I don't know."_

"_Well, why would he write a song about her if he didn't?" she argued._

_Unsure, Hyde shrugged. She had a point. "Maybe he did. She was his favorite groupie." Stretching over, he put the joint back. "His best girl."_

Tangerine, Tangerine  
Living reflection from a dream

_When he returned his hands to Jackie's hips, the look on her pouting face was so chaste, so much cleaner, and so much more honest, than any that he had ever known, that all other thought ceased. Something was plaguing her mind. Besides his stash. _

"_Steven." She looked down. "Am I your tangerine?"_

_The grin that washed over his own lips, and the exultation that came with it, spread through his whole body like wildfire. God, she was so fucking cute sometimes. "Of course, man. You're my chick." His answer, so certain, made her shoulders rise and her entire face brighten with the best smile he'd ever earned himself. _

I was her love  
She was my queen

"_Oh, Steven." The full weight of her body fell over him. "I'm your tangerine," he heard her purr in his ear and closed his eyes._

And now a thousand years between…

They had been so young back then, in a time when it was all so innocent, when the future meant nothing and the moment held everything. Before he had ever disappointed her or made her cry, he had been a rock star in her eyes and _she_ was his tangerine.

Without another thought, while these recollections still kept that feeling fresh, Hyde pushed her body up, until her wide, bloodshot eyes were smiling down at him, and cupped her cheeks.

"Jackie."

"What?"

Hyde sucked in a massive breath. "Leave him."

_To Be Cont._

* * *

**A/N: **Please review. I know things seem confusing, but keep in mind that this chapter is just one of many that create a larger story. If you have complaints to give, please do it in a respectful manner, without screaming at me or putting me down. I am a person, you know. If you hate my story then just don't read it. I'll never understand people who enjoy putting writers down or yelling at them. This is supposed to be for fun. You know what's even more fun? Squee! Reviewing. Yay! 


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: You and Me, Babe. How about it?**

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the reviews, you guys. I am in awe of how supportive you guys are. And I am SO sorry for the wait. I had finals and graduation to deal with, but I'm back now! Ok, this chapter: It's SUPER long 'cause I combined almost two chapters and then took out anything unnecessary so you wouldn't strangle me. I'm making up for my long hiatus here. Oh, and please don't give me crap for some of the things they do. Just assume that when you enter my story, you leave all moral judgment at the door. But you'll understand why this chapter is the way it is when you read the next one. Enjoy…

**Song requirement:** Only one is required Last scene. Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits. Go to Youtube, type in – **Romeo Juliet Dire** – The actual videos are the pictures with the woman's legs, but the best audio version is the third one down. It's a fan video to the Leonardo Dicaprio version of Romeo and Juliet. The song just explains EVERYTHING that is going on in this chapter (and the whole story) perfectly. When you see** xxxxx** start the music.

* * *

**Previously:**

"Jackie."

"What?"

"Leave him."

* * *

The air around him was sweet, and she had been so contented on her tummy, so comfortable in her own haze. It was the sort of comfort that comes through in soft, warm waves and carries you all the way home, wherever that place may be. Tonight, it was over the expanse of his bare chest, and against the smooth, spice-scented flesh of his neck. 

Closing her eyes from the world, Jackie inhaled slowly and parted her lips, preparing to drag the inquiring tip of her tongue across his skin, when her body was abruptly separated from his.

Hyde's warm palms cupped her cheeks. "Jackie."

His eyes locked her gaze on him.

"What?" left her lips unconsciously as she watched him fill his chest with all the air between them and exhale it out in one weathered huff.

"Leave him," he barely uttered.

Instead of lifting, however, Jackie's haze settled like blinders around her head, leaving only two bright blue spheres to score through her. She opened her mouth before realizing that she had not a single thing to say, and then shut it again, causing his already vulnerable expression to fail.

He wanted her? He… Jackie felt his hands slide away and, just as quickly, she sought that warm place again, making their bodies meet once again.

Bringing her face to the soft crook where his collar bone met his throat, Jackie finally ingested some much-needed air. The more the seconds ticked past, though, the more she couldn't believe that she had no words for him. No squeal of joy. No barrage of questions. No passionate kiss. Nothing. Only _his_ words, ironically, remained.

Leave _him_…

_June 4, 1984 _

_New York City_

_Lights. God, they had been everywhere. White, twinkling ones that were laced throughout the shrubbery and trees of what felt like the center of the universe. _

_Awed, Jackie looked up in complete wonderment. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever set her eyes on. Against the summer night sky, they glowed like stars and gave her a whole new image of what heaven might look like. _

"_You like it?" Colin asked her, and she turned to see his face, flattered by the lights that surrounded him. The smallest smile snuck through his lips when she beamed. _

"_Like it?! Baby, I love it!" _

_She loved it so much she nearly twirled in her new dress. But this was New York City, after all, and she had to show all these snoots that even a girl from Wisconsin could act civilized. So, instead, she smacked Colin in the chest, lightly, of course, careful not to wrinkle the nice shirt he was wearing tonight. _

"_Why haven't you brought me here before?" she berated her now confused boyfriend. "You know how much I love twinkle lights and dressing up."_

_He frowned at her. "Jackie, the park isn't always lit up like this." Taking her by the hips, he got a little closer and explained. "It's part of this 'Summer Festival in the Park' thing."_

"_Oh," she acknowledged with complete disappointment, her lips pouting. "So it isn't like this all the time?" _

_Colin smiled. "No… baby." He looked all around them. "This is all just for you…"_

With renewed haste, Jackie sat up and nearly gasped, surprised when Hyde came up with her. His eyes bounced between hers, more restless then she'd ever seen them, and she had to look away. God. He was serious.

"Jackie," Hyde called more forcefully.

Too many thoughts muted his voice out, though. Some were questions, some were doubts, but most were confused stabs that made her stoned brain ache. One, however, one strong one, seemed to stick like glue.

Without another word uttered, Hyde released what sounded like a defeated sigh. "So you're just gonna ignore me now?"

"What?" Finally, she looked over at him. "Oh. No."

His expression exposed the same confusion that she was feeling. "Wait. 'No,' you're not gonna answer me or "No…"

In a swift move, Jackie leaned toward him to cut him off. "No." Regretfully, she shook her head and swallowed down the beating organ that was creeping up her throat. "No. I won't leave him, Steven." It seemed so final, especially as she watched his face become devoid of all emotion. He simply blinked away. "Steven."

He frowned. "No. It's cool, Jackie. Just forget what I said," he mumbled, and then winced.

"Steven. Please look at me."

He did. "I'll just, um, I'll call you tomorrow," he said, pushing her up so he could slip out from beneath her.

"Wait.What? WhyWhere are you going?" Jackie stood on the bed as he got up from it. "God. Steven. Stop!"

"What?" he sneered, turning around to see her. "What, Jackie? I just need to get the hell outta here, okay? This whole thing is just getting too fuckin' weird."

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Well it wasn't weird until you just up and asked me to leave my boyfriend. I'm assuming, for you."

"You know, a simple 'No' will do it, Jackie." He turned back around to leave.

Jackie flew off the bed, "Steven," and beat him to the door, stopping him in his path by pointing in his angered face. "Ok, look you! You can't just throw that at somebody and then leave."

Hyde scoffed. "Watch me."

Again, her eyes narrowed. Typical. "I know you, you know. I know what you're doing."

"You don't know anything about me, Jackie."

She scoffed right back with a smile. "Oh, yes I do, Mr. 'I'm too cool to care about anything'. I know you better than_ anybody_. I didn't say what you wanted and now you're just gonna have one of your little tantrums!" From there, Jackie threw up her hands in his face. But Hyde wasn't listening anymore and tried to move past her. A simple hand to his chest stopped his forward movement. "But leaving…" she continued while Hyde squared his sights back on her, "isn't gonna get you what you want," she reminded him. "And it's this kinda thing, right here, Steven, that made me say no."

"Jackie. I don't care why you said no. I don't even know why I said it," he claimed flatly. "I'm stoned."

Those words hit her surprisingly hard. But they weren't surprising. Not at all. Jackie nodded, her down-turned lips nearly quivering as she fought back the inevitable. "Yeah, that's what I figured." Taking her hands from his chest, she stepped around him. "That's another reason I said no."

Swiftly, Hyde grabbed her fleeing hand but kept his eyes forward. "Wait." She tried to pull away, but he held on tight. "I don't want them to come back," he admitted quietly with her still behind him, and then experienced the most painful rush of adrenaline attack his entire chest. Fuck, this was harder than he thought it would be.

"Why not?"

After no response, Jackie waited through the silence. "Why not, Steven?!" she asked a moment later, and walked back around to face him. Her expression was lit up like a fireworks show. Her eyes were huge with query. "Steven, I asked you…"

"Alright. I heard you." Wiggling his jaw, Hyde forced himself to continue. "Because... I don't… want…" Frustrated, Hyde dropped his hands to his sides. "I…"

"Okay. Okay," Jackie hushed him as she rose to her tip-toes and brought his forehead down to hers, lightly scratching her fingernails tenderly over his scruff. This close, she knew, he was capable of intimacy. "Just say it. Steven. What don't you want?"

"I don't want him touching you, Jackie," Hyde murmured. Closing his eyes, he kissed her lips and pushed on. "I don't want _anybody_, but me, touching you anymore."

Jackie set her heels down. "Steven," she sighed. "I… What is it you're looking for? For me to leave him so that you can just sleep around with me on the side?"

Hyde shook his head. "What? No."

At that, a relieved breath escaped Jackie's body. His stupid shins were safe for tonight. "Steven. I'm really confused. Even more so than normal," she pouted and looked up at him.

Hyde watched her. Five years before she would have jumped, clapped, screamed like a banshee and then flown into his arms. She wouldn't have been confused about a single thing, because, back then, she had loved him so much it scared the shit out of him. But that was all over now, wasn't it?

"You know what," he said, recalling her initial answer as he cupped her cheeks. "It doesn't even matter."

Hyde took note of the door behind her, plotting his way out, already able to taste his freedom from her, and from this room. Inside here, the temperature felt like it was rising, and he didn't want to be high anymore, but he was locked so deep inside of it.

Hyde gave her a gentle kiss. "I'm sorry I couldn't be what you wanted," he whispered before stepping around her and walking out.

Jackie's back fell to the wall. She was suddenly feeling trapped within her stoned brain. The room was moving in a million directions and the light that presented it faded away as her eyes closed shut, the action failing, though, to still her intoxicated mind.

Within the darkness, there was a beat, a collage of memories that slammed straight into her and made her start to cry. Fueling her tears were images of him in various states of the day, of the smiles and frowns and warm eyes that had defined that past couple of weeks. Every part of her wanted to run and stop him, to ease the beaten look on his face, to kiss it all away. She was positive that, after everything, he was new, but it had taken him five long years to get there. Five years, it seemed, was just too damn long.

He was too late.

_I'm sorry I couldn't be what you wanted. _

Exhausted, Jackie opened her eyes. "You were…"

**----------**

Walking across a parking lot never seemed so arduous. And his throat had never felt so dry. It was hard feeling so low, especially for a grown man. Especially over something that felt so beyond his control. Every step sunk him deeper into the concrete until his feet grew heavy and began to stall like they were carrying him further and further from home, a sensation that never seemed to disappear, from the time he was six.

From there he had fought his battles alone. And that's how he would fight this one. He would shove her back, like he did everything else - his parents, his friends, and all of the women who had ever tried to love him, until they were all held perfectly away, far behind his polluted glass wall. And they were screaming, _always_ screaming, at him, for something. To break it. To push through. They saw him there. They knew. But glass walls are thicker than steel when you will them to be.

Reaching his car, Hyde stuffed his hands in his pockets, searching for keys as he tilted his head back to catch the rain. The coolest, thickest drops quenched his parched lips, and, as he swallowed it all down, he made a decision.

No more…

* * *

**Tuesday, November 13, 1984**

**11:07 a.m.**

**Milwaukee, WI**

There was a bright light and Jackie's eyes snapped open. Her first thought was that she felt unreasonably smothered. Taking inventory of her body, the ex-cheerleader noticed that the sheets were coiled tightly around her legs and her pillow was gone.

Aimlessly, she kicked and kicked. "God! Get off!" she shouted through her frustration and finally bucked her limbs free. Relaxing again, the fact that the bed was empty became her next discernable ache of the morning.

With a whimper, Jackie sat up and looked around. There was a knot in her throat. Her bottom lip quivered. Definitely lonelier. And quieter. She suddenly felt so hollow and touch-deprived. The past few nights had been so warm and snuggly, with his skin in constant contact with hers. Kisses were never-ending. Whispers were God. And he was the cause of it all.

An audible cry filled the room. "God, I hate you, Steven." She missed him so much.

Frowning, Jackie wiped her eyes and bounced off her bed.

Her little purple phone book. The one with all the flowers on it. Where the hell was it?

Shuffling around her apartment, Jackie opened and closed the usual drawers and found it quickly. "H," she whispered to herself while flipping to the corresponding page. There it was: Steven Hyde. "Jerk," she grumbled to herself, purely for anger's sake. How could he just lay something like that on her while she was high? "Idiot."

He was always doing that, she realized. Just throwing demands at her. _You_ _choose right now._ _Which one of us is it gonna be? _

Picking up her phone, Jackie growled, swearing that he was never going to hear the end of it today. As soon as they were done making out, she was gonna give him a big chunk of her mind.

Jackie dialed and waited, tapping her foot as it rang. Again. Again. "Answer the phone," she demanded into the receiver. Again. Again.

"_Hey, this is Hyde. Leave a message." _

_Damn it!_ Jackie hung up. She couldn't leave a message. After waiting another few seconds, she picked up and tried again, to the same outcome.

"Ughh! Why aren't you answering?" It wasn't enough that he was unreachable, but she couldn't tell him it was her if he was screening his calls and she couldn't call Donna to… "Oh my God. Donna."

Jackie picked up the phone and dialed.

"_Hello?"_

"Donna!"

"_Jackie? What's up?"_

"So…What time are we supposed to meet at your house again?"

"_Wait. I thought you weren't coming."_

"What? Why wouldn't I be coming?"

"_Well Hyde said…"_ Donna sighed_. "Hyde!"_ she screamed out.

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Wait. Steven's already there?"

"_Yeah, we're getting ready to leave."_

"Oh no, you're not! You are _not_ leaving without me, Donna!"

"_Well, where the hell are you?"_

"Home."

"_Jackie, that's at least thirty minutes away."_

"I'll be there in twenty. And if you let them leave without me, Donna…"

"_I won't. Just hurry up. Hyde's already bitching to go."_

"Then stall," Jackie demanded and hung up the phone with a growl. "Ooh! Asshole!"

* * *

Point Place, Wisconsin

Outside the Forman/Pinciotti Apartment

Fifty-seven Minutes Later

With all of his might, Hyde wrenched Kelso's arms back into a full-Nelson, exposing the taller man's belly as his sweatshirt rose.

"Hurry, Forman! He gets all squirmy!"

"Hey! Cut it out, you guys!" Frantically, Kelso looked to his right, pleading with his soon-to-be wife. "Baby, help me out."

Brooke winced. "I would, Michael. But you kind of asked for it, honey."

"See," Eric said, twirling a freshly cut tree branch with a self-satisfied grin. "Even Brooke knows you deserve this."

"Come on, Eric! I have kids, man!" Just as predicted, Kelso began to squirm violently, causing Hyde to struggle to keep him in place.

"Hurry up, Forman! I can't hold him forever."

Eric sighed. "Ok," he shrugged and poked Kelso in the gut, tickling his sensitive belly with the tip of the switch.

Immediately Kelso began to giggle. "Hey! Cut it out, man! I can't…No…I can't…It tickles…Ok! Ok! Uncle! Uncle!"

Mercifully, Hyde let go, only for Kelso to straighten himself up and stick out his tongue. "Ha! I won. You let go."

Shaking his head, Hyde walked away. "Whatever, man."

"Where the hell is Jackie?" Eric asked, sitting down on the tailgate of el Camino next to Donna.

The redhead shrugged. "I don't know. She said she'd be here in twenty minutes."

"Jackie can't be _anywhere_ in twenty minutes," Kelso explained, strutting toward his bride. "It takes twenty minutes for her just to decide which set of keys goes with her outfit."

"Michael, hush," Brooke yanked him toward her and made him with her on the curb. "She'll be here."

Eric huffed. "Well I say we just leave without her."

"We're not leaving without her," Hyde sneered, ignoring the knowing stares of the newly informed majority. "I'll be right back."

Without giving another thought to the stupid smirk on Kelso's face or the strange look on Brooke's, Hyde walked past them all and into Eric and Donna's apartment.

From across the parking lot, Jackie sat in her car and watched him go; determining immediately that her coming was a mistake. Not that she wanted to see him miserable. Jackie cringed. Well, crap. Maybe she did. But God, he didn't have to be having such a good time, smiling and playing with his stupid friends as if nothing had happened between them the night before, especially while she was feeling so wretched inside._ And_, he was _finally_ clean-shaven. To her, he seemed, already, like a totally different person. And bad memories only accompanied that realization, the worst of them involving him.

With a sigh, Jackie stepped out of her car and then walked the parking lot toward her friends. It was beautiful out. The sun was shining. But it was still a crisp, fall afternoon. She, of course, was warm, wrapped in her peach wool coat, her favorite brown boots clicking on the pavement as she closed in on the gang.

Everyone knew. Everyone except Donna. This was going to be a harrowing day. Always the politician's wife, though, Jackie put on her best smile and took a deep breath. God, she shouldn't have come. "Hey, you guys!"

-----------

Inspecting his reflection, Hyde turned his head from left to right. Were his sideburns uneven? Crap. He couldn't tell. But he was sure wasting time trying to figure it out. He was stalling. For good reason, too. He had no idea how he was going to deal with Jackie today. It was all so fucked up. One day she acted like she used to, like she gave a shit about him, and others, she acted like a complete chick: out of her damn mind.

But the irony didn't get past him. He had asked for it long ago.

Sickened by his own stupidity from the previous night, Hyde gave himself a disgusted look and turned around, opening the bathroom door to leave. He hadn't made it but a few steps when he noticed her standing by the front door and stopped.

"Hey," he said, causing her to look up.

"Hey."

"What's up?"

Jackie watched him apprehensively step toward her. He was frowning. But at least he wasn't ignoring her. That was encouraging, she assumed. But her fears would not subside. He just wasn't the same. He even looked different and her mouth fell in sadness.

When he stopped a few feet from her, Jackie glanced at the front door. "I told them I needed to go potty before we left."

"Oh," he muttered.

"I only said it so I could see you," she confessed, but he didn't respond. "Did you mean what you said? Or were you just…" Growing nervous at his silence, Jackie looked down. Her heart felt as if she had just nose-dived from a moving plane as she waited for him to laugh and say, 'Did you think I was really serious?' or something equaling his usual brand of cruelty.

"What are you doing here, Jackie?"

Looking up, Jackie blew out an indignant huff. "God, I knew you were gonna be like this!"

"Like _what_?" he scowled.

"Like a jerk."

"Christ, Jackie. Don't start this crap," he snapped at her. "You told me you'd rather be with him so I left. What'd you come here to make me feel worse about it?"

Jackie's eyes widened again. "No," she said, shaking her head as she approached him. "That's not why." Needing to feel his chest up against hers, her fingers found their way inside the pockets of his jacket and hooked inside to pull him the rest of the way. He didn't protest; he only stared back at her with impassive blue eyes, making her dread what might be waiting behind them—the man who had fallen in love with her or the monster that had killed him.

Taking tentative back steps, Jackie pulled Hyde along until her back hit the wall behind her. Still, even with his blank expression, she felt safe with him. He wouldn't hurt her. Not anymore. She just kept telling herself that, or trying to at least when she opened her mouth. "I came because I wanted to change my answer, Steven." She watched his eyes come alive. "But not to 'Yes," she explained. "To 'I don't know."

Hyde's face soured. "What?"

"Yeah. I'm saying 'I don't know. Maybe'."

"Are you playing games with me with the 'I don't know' crap, Jackie?"

"What? No." Jackie shook her head. "I really mean that I don't know…" Putting her hands on either side of his waist, she shook his body slightly as her expression turned to worry. "…yet."

"Yet," he repeated cynically and shifted his weight. "Look, Jackie. I didn't plan on saying that last night, okay? But when I did, I was kinda hoping you'd know _right then_."

"Well I didn't, okay! And I don't now, Steven. And you have a lot of nerve. We were together for two years and you didn't know if you wanted me!"

"No. No, no. I didn't know about _marriage_, Jackie. Not about you. I knew about you."

"_Really?_ You didn't know about marriage but you…"

Anticipating her direction, Hyde put up his hand. "Alright. Alright," he grimaced. "We don't need to start that up again. You know what I mean."

"And you know what _I_ mean. Steven, I've been with him for a year and a half. And… I love him. We've made plans together." Hyde rolled his eyes away, so Jackie tugged on him again, shaking his stubborn body. "Steven. Cut it out! Before two weeks ago, you and I hadn't even spoken since summer." At the recollection, Jackie glared at him. "And that was the day you said I looked like a troll."

In his own defense, Hyde raised his hands up to either side of his head. "Your hair was sticking up like this!" A slight smile sweetened his expression, but Jackie wasn't smiling. In fact, her frown was deepening as Hyde's smile grew into a laugh. "Oh, come on. I was kidding with you," he said, resting his fingers on her waist. But her face remained unchanged. Sighing, Hyde let go, his smile disappearing. "Alright. Look, Jackie. You'd obviously rather be with him. So just…forget what I said. Okay?"

At that release he was giving her, he expected relief wash over her face, but instead she looked wounded, even more so than before. "I don't know what I want, Steven," she confessed quietly. "And it really scares me."

Jackie shook her head in complete bewilderment. The answers to their situation were not presenting themselves as clearly as they had even days before. Instead, each day was bringing with it more and more confusion. And only he seemed to understand, because inside of their warm little bubble, only he could.

"I don't know what I'm doing anymore, Steven. But…" She took a deep breath as he inched closer. "I do know that I don't want you to go away." Able now to reach up and run her nails along his now smooth jaw line, Jackie closed her eyes and kissed him gently. "I don't want her touching you either," she admitted and kissed him again, softly, with lazy, comfortable lips. So softly that she had him entranced. "I woke up and missed you," she digressed and opened hopeful eyes. "Did you miss me, too?"

Hyde shrugged. "Nah. Not really."

Gasping, she smacked him in the stomach. "Steven!"

Pleased with her reaction, Hyde grinned and cupped her face. "I'm kidding," he said, raising an intrigued eyebrow at what he was about to say. "I missed you, too." And between his hands, Jackie beamed, thrusting her lips at his and thanking God for the morning. He hadn't changed.

He'd only shaved…

* * *

A Few Minutes Later

As they all stood by the minivan, Kelso turned up his palms. "So who's driving?"

"It's your van, man," Hyde reminded him.

"Yeah, but I drive all night long for my job, Hyde. I'm on vacation and I'm taking a break."

"Well I'm not driving," Hyde asserted, implementing the first stage of his plan and praying that it went off without a hitch.

"I'll drive," Eric volunteered. "It's only, what, a three hour trip?"

Hyde shook his head. "Not even, man." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Just take I-43 from Milwaukee all the way into Green Bay and it's exit 187. The directions are simple, man."

Eric took the paper and shoved it in his pocket with a smile. "Oh, I'll screw it up."

"Oh, I know you will," Hyde assured his friend. "That's why you'll have Donna up front with you."

"And plus," the redhead threw in excitedly upon hearing her name, "I can DJ!"

Grinning, Hyde nodded. Without a hitch.

As Kelso slid open the van's side door, Jackie yanked Brooke aside.

"I need to talk to you."

"You know, Donna is getting suspicious," Brooke immediately warned Jackie. "She was just asking me about you and Hyde and…"

Jackie waved her off. "I don't know care about her right now." Nervously, she swallowed as Brooke stared questioningly at her. Inside, Jackie knew she was about to be berated but she didn't care anymore. "He asked me to leave Colin."

"What?!"

"Shhh! Quiet," Jackie hushed her, glancing around. "He wants me back, Brooke. What do I do?"

Her shoulders falling, Brooke sighed. "You know, I knew this was gonna happen."

"Well what_ever. _Just help me!"

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him I don't know yet."

"Jackie!"

"Shhh!"

The taller brunette was silent for a moment, calling to the front of her mind the reality that Jackie was clearly blinded to. "If you leave Colin, Jackie," Brooke said soberly. "Hyde _will_ break your heart again. You do understand that right?"

"What?" Pensively, Jackie looked around her and shook her head. Deny. He wouldn't. Brooke just didn't understand. "No. He's not like that anymore. He's just… He's not. Okay? He's different."

"Really, Jackie? Do you think Jessica's gonna agree with you on that?"

Jackie's throat went dry as her face fell into disillusionment. It hit so hard, she felt like she couldn't breathe. She kept forgetting about Jessica.

Over by the van, Hyde pushed Kelso aside. "Hey, Kelso," he whispered. "Hey. I was watching this show the other day… said that the safest place you can be in a van is in the middle seat."

Kelso was confused. "Huh?"

Hyde only continued, though. "Yeah, man. It was the craziest thing. Apparently, if there's an accident, the people in the middle seats always live while everyone else dies a terrible, fiery death."

"And their faces?" Kelso asked.

"Not a scratch." Hyde stepped closer, his feigned concern almost cartoonish but, of course, Kelso was oblivious. "Hey, did you notice that, uh, Forman is looking a little glassy-eyed today?"

Having heard enough, Kelso threw his hand high into the air. "I call middle seat!"

* * *

Ten Minutes later

Interstate 43

"Pride (In the name of love)" by U2 begins to play on the radio

Rolling at a steady 65 mph, the Forman caravan was that much closer to its destination of Green Bay, Wisconsin, to the house of David Warner: Leo's only son.

The chatter was grouped by couples, minus the occasional gripe to Donna by Kelso over her radio station choices. But way in the back, all by themselves, Jackie and Hyde were quiet, talking to no one, not even each other. Things were strained now, Hyde figured, because of his stupid admission the night before. And although, he wasn't sure what her intentions were, at least she wasn't saying 'No' anymore. Of course, while part of him, his deep-seated ego, was pissed about her indecisiveness, another part knew that he was far past being able to let that side of him take over. She didn't care enough about him to tolerate it. At least, he didn't think so.

_One man come in the name of love  
One man come and go  
One man come, he to justify  
One man to overthrow_

So, silence reigned, because until she answered, what was there left to say? He was terrible with words. His inability to stitch together a comforting sentence had only created big rifts out of small ones in the past. So, without opening his mouth, Hyde laid out his hand, palm up, over his left knee and waited.

Staring out her window, Jackie watched a few cars speed past. Her mind was stuck on his question. They hadn't even really talked about it. But she knew what he wanted. And it still had her stumbling. A couple of years ago, she would have told him hell no.

She did, in fact.

And a couple of years before _that_, while she still loved him darkly, she would have kicked him in the shin for even thinking it. Maybe. But now, she was at peace with him, and, apparently, so was he with her. She could leave it there. Leave him behind, in a good place. FINALLY sever the irrational tie that bound her to him. But then a memory would come and he would touch her and it didn't seem so irrational anymore.

_In the name of love  
What more in the name of love  
In the name of love  
What more in the name of love…_

Out of the corner of her eye, Jackie saw him move. Down to her right, his palm faced the sky over his knee and she followed his arm all way up to his eyes, making him return the gaze. Looking back down at his hand, Jackie took it and watched it close around hers.

"Steven," she whispered.

"What?"

"Do you…" Jackie glanced forward to make sure no one was paying attention so she could scoot in closer to him. "Do you love her?"

Hyde thought about it. "I don't know."

"But you wanna leave her?"

"I guess I'm willing to, yeah."

"But you don't want to?"

Hyde put two of his fingers to his temple and shut his eyes. "Jackie. Why are asking me this?"

"Because, Steven. You're just gonna leave her? Without warning? Does she think you love her? I mean, does she even suspect that she's that insignificant to you?"

Hyde's expression soured. She knew she was pushing his buttons. "What does it matter, Jackie?"

"Because a girl never knows with you, does she? One day, she thinks, "He loves me." And the next thing she knows, you have a stripper on your lap… or an ex-girlfriend."

"So… What, Jackie? You think I do this all the time?"

Jackie sat back. She kind of did. And she wondered if Jessica had attempted a commitment demand on him, too. God, right when she had come along, tempting him to run away from her, too. "I don't know. Do you?" she asked him, staring at the seat in front of her.

"No," he sneered. "Do you always run straight to your ex-boyfriends when your current one isn't giving you what you want?"

"No. I don't," she snapped quietly. "And for your information, Colin gives me _everything_ I want."

"When he's actually there maybe," Hyde countered, rolling his eyes away when he realized that he had slapped her in a sensitive spot. The look on her face had him immediately regretting his words. This was impossible. Neither one of them trusted each other. And neither one of them had any mercy left for the other, either. He wasn't sure how willing he was, anymore, to break up with Jessica, especially before Jackie answered, _if_ she ever did.

Hyde wasn't sure how long he'd been staring out the window when she nudged him, but it hadn't been too long, a few minutes maybe. When he looked, she rattled the tiny notepad in her hands, safely tucked down near their laps. It had writing on it, he noticed and tilted his head to see.

_I'm afraid_, it read.

Without a sound, Jackie handed him a pen. Grimacing, Hyde looked at its pink feathered tip and sighed, shaking his head before he began to write.

_Of what?_

_Of you_, she returned on the pad.

_Why?_

_It would only be a matter of time before you left me again. _

_No_, he wrote and dropped the pen into his lap. "Jackie."

"Shh. Write," she whispered, looking around the car nervously.

"God damn it." Grabbing his feathered pen, he took the notepad from her, wrote down a little, and handed it back with an annoyed huff.

_You'll be the last._

_The last what?_

_One. _

_I wish I could believe you._

Ignoring her efforts to hand him back the pad, Hyde slouched in his seat and looked away. Jackie hit him with it. "No, I'm done with this crap, Jackie." He watched her narrow her eyes and, giving in, grabbed the pen again.

_If you're gonna say no, just say it. _

"Why can't you just try to reassure me?" she whispered instead. "Why can't you just do everything you can to make me believe you?"

"Because I don't know what to do," he admitted.

Jackie's face hardened. "Well. If you really cared about me, Steven, like you're, kind of, half-assed claiming to, you'd figure it out." With that, she scooted over and leaned forward to wrap her arms around Brooke's neck and lay her head down on the seat back. They were whispering about something and Hyde only shook his head. She was out of her mind, always wanting stuff he couldn't give or—Hyde sat back—at least had a hard time giving. The fact that she had actually grown into an even bigger pain the ass was becoming more and more apparent as these strange days passed them by. His charm meant nothing to her anymore, his physical affections were meaning less and less and his tiny one-worded offerings were only pushing her further away. The fact didn't get past him that he was going to have to do better than he was doing if he really wanted her.

Question was: How bad did he really want all of this?

* * *

Twelve minutes later

After twelve straight minutes of sifting through incomplete memories, Hyde tapped Jackie on the shoulder with a decent amount of confidence, making her break her conversation with Brooke about wedding shoes to finally look at him.

"What, Steven?"

"I thought of something."

"Huh?"

Hyde looked at Brooke, who was staring strangely at him. "Could you…" He twirled his finger curtly, telling her to turn the fuck around. Luckily, for him, she simply rolled her eyes and did. "Okay." Clearing his throat, Hyde looked over at Eric and Donna to make sure they weren't paying attention and then pulled Jackie toward him, just about onto his lap.

"Steven, what are you doing," she asked as he centered them behind Kelso's broad shoulders and big head.

"Ok, you remember that one Halloween," he started in a low voice, "when we snuck back to the basement while everyone else was still at that party?"

"Right after we first together?" Jackie asked.

"Yeah."

She nodded. "Uh huh."

"Ok, um, we got into a fight, 'cause you wanted me to tell you…"

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "That I looked pretty in my costume. And you wouldn't," she finished for him tersely.

"Yeah." He paused, a little unsure now if what he was about to say would turn out to be the dumbest thing ever said or something that would make her happy with him. To his surprise, Jackie only folded her arms and waited. So, he went for it. "Well… You were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen," he explained shamefully, shaking his head. "Ever."

Carefully, Jackie studied him; his expression was a mix between discomfort and regret. But she had to smile. "Is that what you really thought that night?"

Subtly, he nodded.

"So why wouldn't you tell me?"

Shrugging, Hyde kept his eyes on her. "I don't know. I guess, 'cause you really wanted me to."

A half-pained, half-confused look on her face, Jackie nodded, understanding but yet not. He was out of his mind. "So why are you telling me this now, Steven?"

Again, he shrugged. "Just so you know."

Smiling gently, and aware that he was trying, Jackie glanced up front and then planted a few soft pecks on his lips before pulling away and leaning her forehead against his. "I hope you weren't resting everything on that."

"Uh, no. But you'll have to give me some more time. It took me," He glanced at his watch, "fifteen minutes to come up with that," he grinned proudly.

"Well it earned you a kiss," she said. "But that's all. For now." She gave him another kiss and then left him again, returning to her conversation with Brooke.

Smirking to himself, Hyde never noticed Kelso turn around.

"Did I look pretty that night, too, Hyde?"

Hyde's smile fell. "Get bent, Kelso." Immediately, planning to wipe the annoying smirk off Kelso's face, he smacked him in the back of the head. "Turn around."

Kelso grabbed his head. "Ow, Hyde! I was just wondering, man. I mean, I was hoping that maybe I was the _second_ most beautiful thing you'd ever seen," he snickered, sticking out his tongue.

"You're dead," Hyde announced and clothes-lined Kelso to the side floor by the door.

"Ahh, my eye!"

"Michael!" Brooke huffed as the two men wrestled. "Get off the floor. I just ironed that shirt!"

Finally pinned beneath Hyde, Kelso responded in a high-pitched whine. "I can't…"

* * *

One hour later

"Ha!" Jackie shouted and stuck her tongue out at Hyde. "I won. Now look at how many I have," she bragged, scooping up her 'War' victory cards. "Sucker."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just keep going," he said, unable to restrain a smile.

"Wait." Jackie frowned suspiciously. "Are you letting me win, Steven?"

At that, he grimaced, though. "How am I gonna fix War, Jackie?" He expected a bratty response from her but; instead, she gave him a flirty smile that he was really digging at the moment, with a look in her eyes that made his dick begin to fatten in his pants. "What?" he asked, reaching forward to grab her hips. He glanced up ahead and slowly pulled her forward and over of their pile of cards.

Keeping a watchful eye, too, Jackie only giggled quietly and let him ruin their game to claim her. "Be careful. She's gonna notice."

"She won't," he assured her and brought her completely onto his lap. "C'mere." Wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, he gave her a kiss and pulled his leg out from beneath him to bring her backwards down onto her back.

"Steven, no!" Jackie resisted, trying to sit back up, but he was already on top of her, smirking. "She's gonna see."

"Come on, Jackie. Have I taught you _nothing_ about the art of sneaking around?"

"Huh?" She made a face. "Steven. We've been caught more times than I can count. You suck at sneaking around."

"Whatever. You talk too much," he said, pressing his mouth down over hers to shut her up.

"God, Steven..." The moment she could taste his tongue, all fear of Donna disappeared to the back of her mind. On one of her breasts, was his rough hand, and between her thighs, she could feel his pressure on her. Immediately, she wished for privacy.

Up front, Donna was busy changing radio stations.

…_with every step you take  
Every move you make, every vow you break  
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake  
I'll be watching you…_

"Yeah, yeah, stop here, Donna," Kelso insisted. "It's a good song."

"I did stop," Donna said, turning around. "Oh my God. Did I tell you guys about the last…" She stopped abruptly, a stunned scowl on her face. "Hey. Where'd Jackie and Hyde go?"

"Huh?" Brooke turned around to see nothing behind her but window. Kelso turned around, too.

Peering over the seat, they were shocked to see that the pair in question were actually all over each other in back with Hyde unabashedly lying on top of Jackie.

"Oh yeah!" Kelso shouted.

"What?" Donna asked. "What's going on?"

Brooke's jaw dropped. "Shit." Leaning forward, she punched Hyde in his head as hard as she could. "So did you find it yet?!" she yelled out through clenched teeth.

Hyde grabbed his head. "Fuck," he murmured and rolled off of Jackie, dropping down to the floor and leaving her alone on her back to panic. But before she knew it, he had jumped up onto the seat beside her with his pinky ring raised high into the air. "Found it!"

"Oh, good!" Brooke declared, louder than necessary as Hyde grinned uneasily at Donna.

"My ring." Beside him, Jackie sat up. "Thanks, uh, Jackie. You know, for helping." He smiled at Donna again and nodded.

"Oh, no problem… Hyde," Jackie smiled back flatly, keeping her stiff body as far from his as possible. Her heart was pounding uncomfortably against her ribcage. Donna was the worst person to get caught by. But God, it seemed like it was only a matter of time…

* * *

Twenty-six minutes later

Connelly Rest Stop - Interstate 43

As Hyde walked up to the gas station to get some drinks for him and Jackie, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey, man."

It was Eric so Hyde turned around to address his friend. "What's up?"

"Has she messed your head up that much, man?" Eric asked him. "Have you lost your mind? Donna finds out, I guarantee you she tells Jessica."

"Man, Forman, don't start on me right now. I've got enough shit to deal with."

"Yeah, well, I'm sick of lying to Donna. 'Cause guess what, Hyde, when she finds out, I'm in as much trouble as you. And on top of all that, we're all gonna have to start lying to Jessica and Colin soon, too."

"Will you stop whining? It's… I'm hoping you won't have to do any of that."

"Yeah, lots of luck lying to Colin," Kelso interrupted, walking up as he chewed on a hot dog. "He's a smart guy. He's only been in America for, like, seven years and he already speaks English perfectly."

Nearly indignant, Hyde grimaced. "Kelso, you idiot, he's Irish."

"Yeah, I know!"

"Kelso," Eric chimed in wryly. "People from Ireland speak English."

"Now that's just stupid talk, Eric. Do you even hear yourself?" Kelso scoffed and strutted away with his hot dog.

Blinking copiously, Eric opened his mouth to speak but Hyde waved him off. "Let it go, man. You can't have a battle of wits with someone who's clearly unarmed."

Raising a pensive brow, Eric accepted this and turned to Hyde. "Yeah, ok. So, hey. What were you talking about? Why wouldn't we have to lie?"

Hyde sighed and leaned closer to Eric. "Because… I asked Jackie to leave Colin."

"Oh, man. Are you serious? What'd she say?"

"Nothing yet."

Eric nodded. "So you're, like, really serious about her then? I thought you hated her, man."

"I don't hate her."

"You used to."

"Yeah. Well. Things change, Forman. You're gonna keep giving me shit about this?"

"No. No, man. I'm not. I'm just… I mean, aren't you worried just a little bit that she's, you know, messing with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… Look what you did to her, man. I mean, you left her for a stripper. She's gotta be pissed, right? And Colin's all… "Coliny" with his "sexy" accent." Eric derided, rolling his eyes at the thought of his mother and Donna's behavior regarding the foreigner. "I'm just saying. Why would Jackie pick you, man? When she's got that? Especially after what you did." He chuckled. "She's not leaving him. She's probably plotting her revenge right now."

Hyde's eyes fell. It struck him. So hard. Eric was right. Why _would_ she pick him? Why _would_ she forgive him? He would never in a million years have forgiven her. Never.

"Man, just stick with Jessica and pray that she doesn't find out what you did. Or you're gonna have two pissed off ex-girlfriends on your hands."

"Yeah," Hyde murmured as Eric slapped him on the back and walked away, "Thanks, man…"

* * *

Green Bay, Wisconsin

5:47 p.m.

The group from Point Place climbed out of the van and looked around at the tall gate that kept them from entering the gated community of David Warner.

"Man, Forman. I think you're the first driver to ever get lost in Wisconsin. Congratulations."

"It's 'cause of your crappy directions, man."

"So what do we do now?" Jackie complained to Hyde. "I am not gonna stand out here all night like some hobo, begging to get inside." Hyde was already a few yards away, though, with Donna, staring uneasily at an intercom system.

Donna sneered at it. "How are you supposed to know what button to push?"

"Just ask Jackie. She always knows what buttons to push."

Donna laughed as Hyde picked the most top-left one and let go when it buzzed.

"_Can I help you?"_

"Yeah, I'm trying to get through the gate."

"_Who are you here to see?"_

"Uh, David Warner."

"_Your name, sir?"_

Hyde gave Donna a funny look. "Steven Hyde," he responded warily.

As the rest of the gang walked up behind him, Hyde waited.

"_No one's answering his phone, sir,"_ the male voice responded a minute later. _"Is he expecting you?"_

"Can't you just open the gate so I can knock on his door myself?"

"_No. I'm sorry. I can't do that. You're not on the list and he's not answering. You'll have to come back, sir."_

"The list?" Kelso knocked. "What does this guy think he lives at Studio 54?"

"Kelso. Give it a rest, man," Eric counseled the taller man, knowing he was about two minutes away from a Hyde beat down.

Grumbling and bitching, four people started to walk back toward the van, leaving two to stroll curiously along the edge of the sixteen foot gate until perfectly out of sight from the main office.

Studying his options, Hyde looked up.

Beside him, Jackie looked up, too. "You can make it," she estimated for him, answering the very question that was crossing his mind.

Grinning, Hyde glanced over at her. He liked when she wore her criminal mind. She wore it well for a girl of her style. Jessica would have told him it was trespassing. She would have worried for him and advised against it. And though he would have found her innocence cute, he would have never listened.

"I'll be right back, babe," he told Jackie quietly. "Stay with Donna."

"No. I'm going _with_ you."

Derisively, he tilted his head at her. "You're gonna make it over that fence?"

"No," Jackie derided right back. "I'm gonna do _this_." Turning sideways, she smiled snottily and squeezed her 105 lb. frame though the iron rods that were holding everyone else out. "See."

Hyde's jaw fell.

"Hey Eric," Kelso said as the other four walked up. "See if you can make it through."

"I'm not gonna make it thr…" Eric cut himself off. Everyone was now staring at him, waiting. "Fine." Stepping up, he got a leg through, a thigh, his ass, but that's as far as he was getting. Even the skinny neighbor boy wasn't skinny enough. "I'm too big. I won't fit."

"Write that down Donna," Hyde advised her. "You'll never hear those words again."

Donna flipped her eyes away. "Well if he's not making it through then none of us are."

"Well so that's it?" Jackie yipped from the other side. "None of you fat asses can fit through?" Realizing her mistake, she smiled at Donna and Brooke. "Oh, not you guys. You've got…" Squeezing her breasts, she winked. "You know."

Intrigued, Hyde tilted his chin up at her. "Hey do that again."

"Yeah," Eric seconded with Kelso nodding in agreement. "Do it again."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Just… someone get over here with me! Let's go!"

Startling everyone, dry leaves began to rustle as Hyde quickly backed up and made a run for the gate, jumping for the center horizontal bar that sat at just under eight feet. With a grunt, he pulled himself up and stood on it, with the next bar still another foot above his head.

All the girls covered their mouths and gasped.

"Oh my God, Steven. Be careful!"

"I'm fine, Jackie," he grumbled down to her. "Quit yelling. You wanna get caught over there by yourself?"

"No," she whispered.

Grabbing the bar above his head, Hyde pulled his body up and rested on his palms. Looking down, he took note of the metal spike that was portentously aimed at his heart. "Jesus Christ, they're really serious about their privacy around here." He swung his leg over the bar between two spikes. Maneuvering his body around the potentially sharp obstacles, he got himself onto Jackie's side of the fence and looked down.

"Jackie, move." She did, and he jumped, landing on his feet initially before the pressure sent him down onto his back.

"God damn," he groaned through the minor sting in his feet and legs.

Jackie fell to his side. "Steven, are you okay?"

"Yeah." He got up and brushed his hands over his thighs. "Come on, you pussies. Let's go."

Kelso shook his head and backed up. "I'm not a pussy. I'm just afraid of heights. A legitimate fear, Hyde!"

"You've jumped from the water tower a hundred times!"

"I've fallen or been pushed; there's a big difference!" Kelso whispered harshly.

"Whatever, man."

Eric eyebrow rose bravely. "I'll go."

"Eric. No. You'll kill yourself," Donna pleaded. "You can't even do one pull-up."

"Oh, if you remember, I did one once." He eyed the fence and shifted his valiant gaze to his girl. "If I don't come back, Donna, don't wait for me. Go on with your life, baby."

Donna sneered. "Whatever."

Hyde waved him on. "Alright, come on, Forman. Just back up and make a run for it, man. If you catch the bar right…" He stopped mid-sentence as Eric casually stepped up to the gate and painfully shoved himself through, wincing the entire way.

Once he was on the other side, Hyde put his palms up. "Man, what the hell?"

"Yeah," Eric smiled at his friend. "I fit. I just didn't want to be stuck alone with Jackie."

"Okay," Kelso sighed. "So the three of us are just gonna wait in the van then. Maybe I can talk Donna and Brooke into some girl on girl, if you know what I mean." Donna punched him in the arm. "Ow."

* * *

Jackie in the middle, all three strolled the quiet streets of the condominium complex. Inside here, the trees—man-planted Evergreens—were still a bright hue of jade, keeping it summer all year round. The pavement was freshly redone and the lights above head emitted a glow that drove the night's stars far from view. 

Grabbing Hyde's hand, Jackie smiled and swung their arms freely. "This place is nice. Way nicer than _my_ crappy complex."

"Yeah, but who wants all the crazy security?" Hyde challenged.

"I would," Eric responded. "It probably keeps out the riffraff."

Hyde grimaced. "Yeah but then your friends can't just come in and out. They've gotta go through all that list crap."

"Exactly," Eric asserted as the two men exchanged an annoyed look.

Jackie pointed. "Hey, Steven. There it is. Six forty-four."

"Great …"

* * *

The Home of David Warner

Slowly raising his fist, Hyde first looked at Jackie.

"It's gonna be okay, Steven," she immediately assured him and smiled before kissing his shoulder. "I promise."

During their exchange, Hyde had watched her lips descend on him and, upon her promise, had turned his own lips up in the slightest show of reprieve. He believed her, Eric realized, and prayed to God himself that she was right, for Hyde's sake, because Leo's rejection, he knew, would be Hyde's own. And as Jackie glanced back worriedly at Eric, he knew that she understood that, too.

After that, the wait was brutal. But the lights were on. And when shadows began to dance over the thin glow below the door, Eric watched Hyde's entire body tense up.

Abruptly, the knob turned and the door swung open. "Yeah," a taller dark-haired man of about thirty said.

"Uh, David Warner?" Hyde asked.

The man looked at Jackie and then at Eric before turning back to Hyde, confused. "Yeah. What's this about?"

"Oh, um, my name's Steven Hyde. I'm a friend of your dad's." David looked even more confused. "Leo," Hyde elaborated.

The man who wore Leo's face, only younger, glared knowingly at Hyde. "I don't know anyone by that name. I think you've got the wrong guy." He started to shut the door.

"Hey! He's dying, man," Hyde snapped. "And he's asking for you."

Locking eyes with Hyde, David simply shook his head and gripped the door knob, ready to slam it in his intruder's face. "I _don't _care."

"Excuse me!" Jackie called out, beginning to bounce on the balls of her feet. "Please. Sir!" With a confused scowl, David reopened the door all the way and took notice of her. "We're not from here and I have to go potty," she implored him. "Can I please use your bathroom?" She pouted as her bouncing intensified. "Please!"

Sighing, David opened the door to let Jackie through and looked at Hyde. "You've got five minutes." Fast little legs carried her though and she turned to wink at Hyde just as David turned to point. "Down that hall. First door on the left."

"Thank you!"

Wary, but grateful, Hyde and Eric followed Leo's son inside his home, shutting the door behind them. "You guys want a beer?"

"Yeah, man. Thanks." Signaling to Eric, Hyde glanced at him and lifted his chin.

"Uh, yeah. Sure," Eric answered, figuring the plan was to stall. Hopefully, Jackie knew to do the same.

They made it as far as the living room when David pointed at his couch, "Have a seat," and disappeared into the next room.

Eric and Hyde sat on opposite couches.

"Hey, man," Eric whispered to Hyde, who looked rather disillusioned already as he stared musingly at the floor. "Look alive, man." Hyde didn't move though. Only his lips stirred.

"I'm gonna screw this up."

"No, man. You're not. Just explain it to him."

Suddenly, David entered the room, carrying two cans of beer. "Alright," he started before Hyde could even speak and handed off the beers. "I think I remember you now. You called me a few months ago."

"Yeah. But this time he's…"

"No, man." David raised a hand and sat down on a recliner near Hyde. "I don't think you understand. I really don't care. I don't care if he lives or dies. I know that sounds harsh but it's the truth. He left me and my mom when I was ten. Man, he just disappeared one day and left us with nothing. My mom had to work two jobs just to pay for the twenty different shitty apartments we ended up living in."

Hyde sat forward in his seat. "Look, man. I understand more than you think, okay. And I get why you're pissed. But Leo's a good guy. He has…" Awkwardly, Hyde pointed near his head. "He's got memory issues. He forgets where his apartment is all the time. He can't remember people's name. It's not always his fault."

"Yeah, my mom tried to make those same excuses for him, too." Casually, David sat back. "How long have you known him?"

"Since I was, like, sixteen. So, I guess nine years. He was like a dad to me, when my own didn't wanna be, you know. He talked about you, though. He didn't know where you were at the time. He wanted to find you."

David nodded. "So how does he not lose you?"

Sighing, Hyde shifted in his seat. "He has. A couple of times. He's gotten lost and disappeared for months at a time."

"But somehow he finds you again."

Hyde took a deep breath. Fielding these questions without making Leo look like a lunatic was harder than he thought. "Yeah." He knew exactly where this was going, though, as did Eric.

To the two men's surprise, David stood up. "I'll be right back."

As stated, he was back quickly, carrying a small wooden box in his hand. He handed it to Hyde.

"It's his."

"What is it?"

"I don't know," David admitted. "My mom gave it to me right before she died. I never bothered to try and break the lock." He stepped back. "I don't wanna know."

"Did she tell you?" Eric asked him.

"No, I don't think she ever opened it." David shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she did. I didn't ask. And I don't care, man. Just take it."

Staring at this box, Hyde felt like someone had just ripped the life from his body. Leo had been talking about his son for as long as he could recall, dreaming of the day they would meet again. He never forgot. He never wavered. It was the one thing that he was ever sure of, that his son was waiting for him, somewhere. And that his girl would smile and throw her arms around him, happy that he was finally home. "What am I supposed to tell him, man?"

"Tell him she's dead," David replied. "Tell him he killed her." Hyde shut his eyes. Walking away, Leo's son got to his front door and opened it. "Thanks for coming."

Eric stood and stepped toward his despondent friend. "Come on, man. Let's go."

Hyde only stared at his new box. "Can you get Jackie for me?"

"Yeah."

Inside the bathroom, Jackie was going crazy. Not knowing what the hell was going on was maddening. But she knew she had to stay behind these doors to give Steven, and Leo, a chance. Luckily for her, the bathroom was clean. A girl lived here. A girl with great taste in hair products and perfume. By the time Jackie was done exploring, the place smelled like a French whorehouse, but it was biding the time just fine.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. "Jackie. Come on. It's time to go."

Smiling, Jackie ran for the door and opened it, expecting to see Hyde.

"Did it work?" she exclaimed quietly. Eric only shook his head. "What? Why? Where's Steven?" She followed a silent, and solemn, Eric to the living room and toward the front door. In their path, and quietly sitting in a chair, was David. Jackie watched him as they passed. "Hey."

"Jackie, no," Eric told her and grabbed her hand. "Come on."

"No. I wanna know what happened? Where's Steven?"

"He's outside."

"You," she pointed at David. "Why didn't you listen to my Steven?"

His eyes on her, David stood as Eric yanked on the small girl. Leo's son raised his hand. "No, it's ok," he said to him and looked down at Jackie. "It's simple. I have nothing to say to my father."

"Why? Because he was a bad dad when you were growing up?" Jackie scoffed. "Well get over it. Both of Steven's parents abandoned him when he was little. Mine did it, too. And now my dad's dead. And so is Steven's. Well, one is. Whatever. Luckily, it's the poor one."

"Jackie," Eric warned.

"What? I'm just saying. He still has a chance." Sternly, she scowled and pointed at David. "Don't be a dumb ass, David!"

Eric stepped forward. "Ok, that's it." Taking her waist, he pushed her out and shut the door.

"Where's Steven?" Jackie asked, once outside.

Shaking his head, Eric looked around. "I don't know. He just told me to…" He was surprised when she took off running. "Hey!" He followed; a few steps in realizing that she was heading straight for Hyde.

"Steven!"

Eric watched as Hyde, who was walking in the other direction, turned around in time for Jackie to throw her arms around his neck. His hands landed on her waist, though, and gently pushed her away. From there she stayed motionless while both she and Eric watched him pace and then turn to both of them.

"What am I supposed to tell Leo? Huh? What? That his son hates him? That he killed his wife? What the hell did that even mean?!" he yelled.

Flinching at his outburst, Jackie just shook her head.

"Hyde, man. Maybe Leo won't remember," Eric reasoned.

Back to pacing, Hyde brought his hand to the back of his head. "He'll remember. He always remembers this. He bugged and bugged last time. I kept telling him that his kid wasn't home, that he wasn't answering the phone. But he just kept on and on."

Jackie stepped toward him, "Steven, just tell him…" Hyde put up a rigid finger at her, keeping her away as he backed up slightly. He didn't want anyone near him, touching him or telling him bullshit that he knew wouldn't work. Box still in hand, he looked around, far past Jackie and Eric. Everything in his life was changing and turning to shit. The decisions he had made in the past two weeks had hurtled him way beyond his comfort zone and it was all making him miss normalcy, and Jessica. If he could, he would rewind time and settle her back into his arms as she told him she couldn't make the Halloween party. He would tell her that he would stay in and wait for her. He would bring Leo home and let him move in. He would change it all. If he could.

The next thing Hyde knew, his back had hit a wall, literally. "Steven," he heard softly and set his eyes back on Jackie. Jesus Christ. It was insane how beautiful she had become, but even more insane how quickly she had pulled him back in.

Jackie stepped forward cautiously, "Steven," and didn't stop until her head came to rest against his chest. "I'm sorry he didn't listen," she whispered, taking note of the way his hands fell so stiffly over her hips. She looked up and took his arms, swinging them around her back and holding them there. Stubbornly, though, he refused to lock them in place. "Hug me," she demanded, but he ripped his arms away and brought his hands to her face, kissing her instead. And so, something only he could cause started to happen; her body felt like it was melting beneath his hands. Her jaw was tingling from the way his lips were moving against hers and from the way his tongue felt like it was God damn made to slide over hers. She loved Colin. She swore it in her heart. But Steven, God, he was making her fall in love with him. All over again.

From his vantage point of about fourteen feet away, Eric finally looked away, feeling uncomfortable in his voyeurism. His mouth was agape, though, at what he had just witnessed, while the ever-present conscience inside of him began to feel guilty.

He had never taken much notice of them before, never cared enough to really bother. It was just Jackie and Hyde, after all. But half a decade later, he was thinking differently on the matter as he stood quietly on damp Green Bay grass. Contrary to popular belief, it looked like Hyde actually cared about Jackie. It was hard to ignore that, nearby, his best friend was whispering to a woman he obviously loved, making her giggle as he…kissed her wrists. Eric frowned, confused.

"Jackie, why do you smell like a whorehouse?"

Happily, Jackie giggled. "Oh, you like?" She raised her wrist to his nose. "David has a girlfriend with expensive taste in perfume. This one is Chanel #5."

Hyde shook his head. "No." He didn't like the smell. Plus it was the wrist that held the bracelet that Colin had apparently given her and the fact that she was still wearing the damn thing was irritating the hell out of him.

Jackie switched wrists. "Ok, and this one is, um, Christian Dior."

He nodded this time and kissed that wrist. "Yeah, I like this one."

"Well, good," she said, slipping her arms around his waist. "You can buy me some then. You owe me a gift. You owe me many, many gifts."

"I do, don't I?"

"Uh, huh."

"Well, how about I just give you the money and you can go buy it for yourself," he grinned, but her face hardened at the half-assed offer. "Uh, how about I just go buy it _for_ you," he said quickly. And, at that, Jackie smiled and kissed his lips.

"Better."

* * *

Green Bay, Wisconsin

Sizzler Steak House

Thirty-seven minutes later

"Ah! I found one," Jackie screeched and reached across the table to Hyde, handing him her only bobby pin. "Try that!"

Everyone watched, frozen as Hyde tried to jimmy the almost twenty year old lock of Leo's wooden box. "What the hell is wrong with this thing?" he grumbled, pulling the bobby pin out to look at it.

Donna snatched it away and stuck it in her mouth. "Take," With her teeth, she ripped off the small pieces of plastic that coated the tips, "these things off." She handed it back. "Now try it."

"It's like finding treasure," Kelso commented excitedly.

Feeling a click, Hyde looked up. "I think I got it."

"Well open it, God damn it!" Brooke insisted and looked around, embarrassed. "Sorry. I'm just really curious."

Kelso put his arm around her. "It's ok, baby. We all are. Now come on, Hyde!"

"Open it, Steven," Jackie smiled.

After pulling off the lock, Hyde lifted the metal latch and opened the box. At the very top was a stack of pictures that he handed off to Donna. "See who's in those."

The next layer consisted of several letters, which he handed off to Jackie. And coating the bottom was a huge assortment of random items, anti-war buttons and stickers, a bandana, a set of keys, a deck of nudey cards, rolling papers, a pipe, a few boxes of matches and something that made Hyde stop cold. "What the hell's this?" He raised it to show Eric and Kelso. "Man, it looks like…"

He flipped the small vile and watched the clear liquid inside shift to the other side.

"I think…I think it's acid, man."

"No," Eric said, shaking his head. "It would have dried up by now."

"Would it?" Hyde questioned. "I mean, do you really know?" he said, smiling and raising a small stack of papers from the bottom of the box, perforated into small squares and covered in Grateful Dead logos. At the sight of it all, Hyde began laughing so hard he couldn't stop. "Oh, man. Fuckin' Leo. I knew there was more to the story."

"God." Donna shook her head. "This explains SO much."

* * *

Outside in the Parking Lot

Forty Minutes Later

"…I love you so much it hurts. And everyday I pray to God that you'll come back so I can stop crying. Because no matter what I do, I can't stop. I wait every night for you." A tearful Jackie looked up at Brooke and Donna, who were both crying, too. "Should I…"

"Keep going," Donna requested, wiping her eyes.

Nodding, Jackie continued to read. "Yesterday David asked about you again and I didn't know what to say. I don't ever know what to tell him when he asks why you aren't here. Because I don't know either. Is it because you don't love me anymore? Is that it? Because I don't know what happened. I don't what it is I did wrong. Is it that you just don't want me anymore? Because I thought you did. I thought…" Jackie looked up, crying harder than she was before. "I can't read this anymore."

"Hey," Hyde reached over and took the letter from her, along with the rest that were clutched in her hand. "Alright. That's enough of that."

"Yeah, they're getting the chicks all depressed, man," Kelso groused.

"Yeah, but that's good for _us_," Eric said, smiling mischievously and pitching his eyebrows.

After pondering a moment, Kelso turned back to Hyde, nodding. "Eric's right. Give 'em back."

Ignoring that directive, Hyde put the letters back in the box and pulled out the small vile. "You guys ready?" he asked Eric and Kelso.

"I can't believe you idiots are seriously considering taking that," Brooke said. "It could be anything."

Hyde grinned. "Well we'll find out in about forty-five minutes, won't we?"

"Steven!" Jackie began, making him look over at her. "You…" She looked around, "You really shouldn't take that."

"Why not?"

"Because… I'm telling you… that you _really shouldn't_," she insisted through gritted teeth.

He only stared at her apathetically. "So?"

"So…" She glanced around again and noticed Donna was watching her. "Fine," she grumbled. "But I'm gonna remember, Steven, that you didn't listen to… my advice."

Nodding, he turned back to his male friends. "So you guys ready or what?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Michael!"

"Oh, I'm doing this, Brooke!"

Brooke placed her hands on her hips, jutting her breasts out. "Do you ever wanna see me naked again, Michael?"

"Yes," Kelso answered sadly, quickly becoming concerned for his sex life.

"Don't listen to her, man. It's a trap!" Hyde cautioned him.

"Yeah, but…" Confused, Kelso glanced back and forth between his woman and his friends. She was so much better looking than they were, and her boobs were so round and soft. But his friends were also looking at him like he was a pussy. "Damn it! Quick, Hyde. Squirt it in my mouth. Hurry!" he shouted, waving him over.

Hyde jumped up as Kelso tipped his head back and stuck out his tongue.

"Michael!" Brooke yelled.

Using the dropper, Hyde menacingly squeezed out two large drops of the mystery liquid onto his friend's tongue and then onto his own. "Quick, Forman. Get over here!"

Jackie stomped her foot. "Steven Hyde!"

"Eric," Donna warned but she was too late. Whatever it was in Leo's wooden box, it was already in all three of their systems, just waiting to take hold…

* * *

One Hour Later

9:47 p.m.

Interstate 43 South – Near the Silverweed Lake Exit

Her legs draped over his, Jackie held Hyde's face in her hands and stared inquisitively into his dilated eyes. "How are you feeling, Steven?"

He merely shrugged.

"God," she whispered through the dark, gently sweeping her thumbs over his lips and chin. "You're so stupid, baby."

It took him a moment to realize it, but she was kissing him gently. Somehow, he had found himself straggling about three seconds behind life. His reaction time was non-existent. And he could have sworn she said something. Worse, the next thing he knew she had taken her lips away before he could even try to enjoy them.

"Jackie. I think…" Her beautiful face was so fuzzy, making her features almost indistinguishable. "Yeah, I think it's working."

"You think, you idiot? You weren't even kissing me."

"Sorry."

"Steven, are you alright?"

He smiled lazily. "Yeah. C'mere." Staring at only her plump lips, he leaned forward and took her mouth again, this time savoring the intense sensations she was creating on his body. Her mouth, her tongue, her hands over the back of his neck, her legs over his. His nerves were set on hyper-drive while his other senses seemed to be lagging. So he just closed his eyes and focused on the way she felt as he kissed and played with her warm, wet mouth. "God. Fuck, Jackie." Kissing her harder, Hyde moved one of her hands down to the growing bulge in his pants. "We gotta get home."

She moved her hand, though, confusing him, and a moment later, raised the vile that had been in the box. "I wanna try it," she asserted.

"Huh?" Hyde waved his hand adamantly. "No way, Jackie."

"Uh, way, Steven."

"No. You're too… small. It could… hurt your… something."

"Steven," Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Do you ever wanna see me naked again?" Miserably, Hyde nodded. "Then tell me what to do."

"Crap. Fine. Give it to me," he told her and twisted open up the seal. "I'm not gonna give it to you straight." Hyde looked around, trying to remember if there were any drinks in the car. But there weren't. "Crap. Ok. Get ready to kiss me. Just like you were doing. All tonguey like I like it," he grinned.

Jackie smiled back. "Ok."

Carefully in the dark of the back seat, Hyde stuck out his tongue and dropped a single drop of the liquid on it. Quickly, he crushed his mouth into hers, encouraging her to suck on his tongue and devour the drug as they kissed.

It was all going great, and his dick was growing fatter by the second from her eagerness, but, unfortunately, there was an unforeseen problem in their midst.

"What the hell?" Donna shouted and put on the breaks, pulling the van over into the breakdown lane. "Alright! That's it! Everybody out!"

* * *

Two Minutes Later

His back straight, his left arm touching Jackie's shoulder, his right, Brooke's, Hyde looked around curiously. Had he… Had he joined the army? Distastefully, he frowned. He didn't remember joining the army. Yeah, no. He would have remembered something like that.

"Hyde! Are you even hearing what I'm saying to you?"

"He's all messed up. Donna. He didn't know what he was doing," Jackie argued, bringing Donna's wrath upon herself.

"Oh," Donna said, stepping one person over. "And how do you explain _your_ tongue halfway down _his_ throat?" Jackie opened her mouth wide but no words came out and her mouth just stayed like that. She was so screwed. "You know, I knew something was going on," the taller girl continued. "But I didn't say anything because I figured you two were better than that."

"Hey," a high Eric sang out happily. "Come on. I think maybe we should all just calm down here," He smiled drowsily. "It's all good. They're in love, Donna."

"Oh, God." Jackie put her face into her hands.

"Hyde," Donna moved her attention back toward him, the main culprit, she figured. The high culprit anyway who would spill, if she could just get him to focus. Stupid Kelso was too busy laughing and pointing at her to be of any use. "Hyde. Look at me."

Finally, Hyde looked up and smiled at her.

"You know, I thought you were hot with blonde hair. But you're much hotter with red."

Falsely, the redhead smiled. "Thank you, Hyde," she placated. "Now, can you please tell me why you were kissing, Jackie? I just wanna know what the hell is going on around here. You all look like you're hiding something. Did you cheat on Jessica, Hyde?"

"Donna!"

"Yeah," he confessed.

"_Steven!"_

"What? They all know anyway. I'm sick of lying."

Eric, Brooke and Kelso all groaned from their place in the lineup. "Thanks a lot, Hyde," Eric muttered.

Donna's jaw fell. "Wait. You ALL knew?!" She stomped over to her fiancé. "YOU knew, too?" Eric didn't answer, he just casually looked away as he began to whistle. "And… you," She pointed at Hyde. "How could you cheat on Jessica! God. No wonder she was freaking out about Jackie! She was right to!" Immediately, she turned to Jackie. "And I can't even believe _you _either You know how it feels to be cheated on and yet you inflict it somebody else? On _two_ people. I just can't…"

"Hey," Brooke interrupted. "You don't even know what's going on. Maybe you should hear them out before you start judging."

Jackie smiled snottily. "Thank you, Brooke."

Taking those words to heart, Donna sighed and passed her eyes over the lineup. They had all known and, for some reason, didn't trust her with the information. "Alright. Fine," she said calmly and stopped her sights on the guiltiest looking member of the group. "Hyde. Just tell me what's going on. Why you would cheat on Jessica like that… knowing how much she loves you." Disappointed, Donna shook her head. "Hyde. This is gonna kill her. Didn't you think about that at all?"

Suddenly feeling the shame she was trying to impose on him, Hyde looked down, letting his shoulders fall. "No."

"God, you are such a bitch, Donna," Jackie said, jumping to, what everyone assumed, was going to be Hyde's defense. "I can't stand you," she muttered, shocking everyone. "Why weren't you saying all that when he abandoned me? Huh? Where the hell were you with all your judgment and anger when he fucking left _me_?! Huh?! _DONNA!_"

Pissed to no end, the small brunette stepped out of line in a huff. "God. You never gave a shit about me. Or how _I_ felt. Oh, but you're right there to defend poor little Jessica, aren't you? Look at him," Jackie screamed, pointing a finger at Hyde who was now staring at her. She was hard to miss; her whole body was lit up from the bright glow of the van's headlights. "He never looked like that when he chose that whore over me. I cried EVERY night for _months_ over him! And YOU never gave a shit!"

"Jackie. I…" Donna pensively glanced around herself. "I… I said something to him. I know I did."

"Really? _What?!_"

"I…" Donna was struggling to remember. "I said…"

Jackie nodded, feeling vindicated. "That's what I thought." With that, the last word, she stormed away from the group and down a dirt road until she disappeared behind the brush. Glaring at Donna, Brooke stepped out of line and followed.

"Hey. Kelso. Follow them," Hyde ordered. And Kelso did, while Hyde shifted his restored, but limited, concentration back on his accuser. He raised an eyebrow. "You did say something to me."

"I did?"

He nodded. "Yeah. You told me it was probably better this way." That reminder in hand, Hyde, too, took off down the road behind Jackie.

And as Hyde brushed past her, Donna looked at Eric, slightly embarrassed. It took her a minute as he stared at her, but she finally opened her mouth. "I didn't want him to hurt her anymore. I swear, Eric. I just…I…I don't why I didn't care. I mean, she didn't seem that upset. I guess I knew she was, though," she acknowledged, thinking back on how animated and manic Jackie was acting. "I knew she was hiding it. I just…I didn't care. You had left me, too." Donna shook her head. "I cried every night for you, too, and no one really cared. Eric, say something. Please."

"I came back for you, though, Donna."

"Yeah."

Eric stepped forward with a smile and put his arms around her waist. "Okay, look. You probably should've given him hell for what he did. I guess I always just assumed you did and that he didn't listen. But it's not your fault he did it. That was his choice. The rest you're just gonna have to fix with Jackie, 'cause it looks like they might get back together."

Donna rolled her eyes. "He's just gonna break her heart again, Eric."

To her surprise, Eric shrugged. "Maybe not…"

Meanwhile…

"Jackie. Stop walking."

"No."

"Will you cut the shit? You're gonna get us all lost." Hyde continued to follow for another few steps and stopped. "Fine, you can get lost by yourself. See if I care."

Jackie kept walking. "Good. Now stay the hell away from me."

"God damn it," he shouted, running up to grab her arm and yank her to a stop. "Look. I'm sorry. I fucked up. I wasn't thinking."

"Yeah, well. You know she's gonna tell her. Right? And Jessica's gonna tell Colin. And even if she doesn't, it'll get back to him why she left you."

"No. She won't leave me."

Mockingly, Jackie laughed. "Oh, come on, Steven. She's not stupid and you're not_ that_ fabulous!"

"No, she _said_ she wouldn't," he insisted.

"Well, that's just the _dumbest_ thing I've ever heard."

"Well, in her defense, she didn't say it to me. She said it to her sister and I overheard."

"So what? You just cheat on her 'cause you can?!"

"No. I've never cheated on her," he explained. "…until now."

"Oh!" Jackie sang mockingly. "Well I should consider myself _special_ then," she snarled and wandered a few feet away while Brooke and Kelso stood quietly behind Hyde. Stopping, Jackie inhaled deeply. "You know, Steven. I saw your face. You feel guilty for what you're doing to her." More calmly, she turned back around. "Why didn't you ever feel remorse for what you did to me?"

At that, Hyde let his head fall back. He hated when she started with this line of questioning. How do you explain to someone that you just can't explain it? "I don't know."

Taking Jackie by the shoulders, Brooke turned her friend around to face her. "Jackie, Listen to me. You need to get some perspective here. You should be glad that he's feeling guilty over her. Would you really rather him be cold to her like he was to you? That would just mean that he hadn't changed at all."

Practically deflating as she stood, Jackie closed her eyes. "I know. I just wish he had cared that much about me." She opened them. "It hurts sometimes."

"I know," Brooke replied.

"Jackie. It didn't mean that…" Hyde gave up. "Fuck. Forget it."

"He loved you, Jackie," Kelso cut in from his seat on a large rock. He was playing in the dirt, swirling a stick around to spell his name. He was strangely calm. "He's just Hyde and didn't know how to show it." Delicately between his and Brooke's names, he drew a perfect heart. "He loved you."

Brooke walked over to him. "Honey, are you ok?"

Taking his opportunity, Hyde grabbed Jackie's hand and pulled her to the other side of the dirt road. "C'mere. Look, I know you're worried about Colin finding out. So…"

"Steven. I didn't mean it like that. Even_ if_ I choose to leave him, I don't want him to know the real reason why. Okay? I don't want him to hate me. So either way, he just can't find out. I _can't_ have him hating me, Steven."

Hyde nodded. "Ok. I get it, Jackie," he murmured. "I don't want her hating me either. They're not gonna find out. Okay?"

That little bit of relief that he gave her, and the sincerity in his stoned eyes, forced her body toward him for a hug. "Thank you."

"Jackie," Donna's voice softly called, causing Jackie and Hyde to look over and break from their embrace. Without another word, Hyde walked away, leaving the two old friends alone. "I'm…" Donna studied her nails as she rallied her courage of admission. "I'm really sorry, Jackie. I don't wanna fight with you. You're my best friend."

Jackie only blinked, causing Donna to shake her head in disbelief that she was actually having to have this conversation again.

"Look, Jackie. I know I should've kicked Hyde's ass when he got home from Vegas but…" The raised, unimpressed eyebrows on Jackie's face made Donna shrug and drop her shoulders down in frustration. "I don't why I didn't. Okay? I don't why I didn't care at the time. But… I do care about you Jackie—about you and Hyde and even Jessica. But especially you. You have a good thing with Colin and you're gonna screw it up if you haven't already. You're not a cheater, Jackie."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "God, Donna. It's not like they have to find out what we did."

The red head nodded, completely agreeing. "No. I know. And I'm not gonna tell them. But I really think you and Hyde should. It's only right, Jackie." Realizing that telling their significant others was the last thing those two would do, Donna shook her head. "I don't know. This is all just such a mess."

"Yeah," Jackie agreed. "It is. But it's my mess. And it's none of your business. And you can either be supportive and help me, or butt the hell out. But I'd much rather you be supportive because I'm really scared, Donna. I'm afraid of losing Colin and now, I'm afraid of losing that idiot," she admitted, pointing at Hyde, who was currently on top of Kelso, helping Eric force their friend's face into the dirt. "And I don't know what to do."

**xxxxx**

Unable to help it, Donna smiled. She was encouraged by Jackie's willingness to include her, for once. "We'll figure it out." She nodded and reached out to hug her friend tightly. "Just promise me you'll be careful, Jackie."

Unable to breathe, Jackie grunted. "You're squishing me, Donna, you behemoth."

"Oh, sorry." Both laughing, the redhead pulled away. "Just be careful, ok?"

"I will…"

* * *

…One hour later…

Silverweed Lake Campgrounds

_**A**__**love struck Romeo sings the streets a serenade  
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made  
Finds a streetlight, steps out of the shade  
Says something like, "You and me, babe, how about it?"**_

On a settled piece of land, a grouping of camping pits abandoned for the season and situated only a few hundred yards from a moonlit lake, the gang sat staring into a crackling fire. Bright red and orange flames rose high and sparked as Kelso walked up and threw in another pile of kindling that he had gathered for it.

Everyone else just watched in their pairs and listened to the car radio as Brooke welcomed Kelso back beside her on a picnic bench.

_**Juliet says, "Hey, it's Romeo, you nearly gave me a heart attack."  
He's underneath the window. She's singing, "Hey la my boyfriend's back  
You shouldn't come around here singing up at people like that  
Anyway, what you gonna do about it?"**_

Her head resting on his shoulder, Donna and Eric sat watching the fire from two foldable beach chairs. Everyone seemed to have something else on their minds. Occasionally, Donna would glance over at the back of the van, though, where Jackie lay resting between Hyde's legs. The doors were wide open and Hyde was casually leaned up against the side with Jackie's back against his chest. They looked so high, but so comfortable in their drug-induced hazes, wrapped up together beneath a thick Rainbow Brite blanket.

"How's she doing?" Donna asked Hyde, who raised his cheek from Jackie's head to peer around and see her face.

"Hey," he whispered in her ear. "What's going on? You alright?"

_**Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start  
And I bet, and you exploded into my heart  
And I forget, I forget, the movie song  
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?**_

_**Juliet…**_

The rest of the gang watched the starry-eyed brunette take her eyes from the sky above them to lean her head back on Hyde's shoulder and gaze up at him instead.

"I feel weird, baby," she responded quietly, stretching her neck. In front of everyone, her lips puckered for him, searching for his most soothing kiss. And she found it, without any hesitation from him. He didn't give a fuck about anybody else anymore. They all knew. They all knew everything that lay over the surface, anyway, which was all they needed to know. The rest was none of their business. The things between them belonged to them and them alone…

_**Come up on different streets; they both were streets of shame  
Both dirty, both mean, yes, and the dream was just the same  
And I dream your dream for you and now your dream is real  
how can you look at me as I was just another one of your deals?**_

_(June 19, 1982)_

_1:07 a.m._

_Her small TV flickered red, white and blue as the flag waved across the screen, perfectly in synch with the Star-Spangled Banner. There wasn't much left of his night with her. It was a fluke, a gift, maybe, given to a loser who didn't deserve one minute of it, a final chance to hold her, if only to remind himself of what he had given up for a month of great sex with a whore—a whore whose face he couldn't even remember. _

_But the small, loud-mouthed girl sleeping, tucked in front of him, he couldn't forget if he tried. _

_**Well you can fall for chains of silver  
You can fall for chains of gold  
You can fall for pretty strangers  
And the promises they hold…**_

_From where he lay, he could see the gash on her temple, clotted with a deep hue of crimson. So dark in its coloring that he knew it would scar. It was only another reminder, though, that he couldn't always be there to protect her. When he had let her go, he hadn't really thought of all the distant consequences that the betrayal would bring upon her. He had let her out into a world where fuckers hit and treated women like shit, especially women who were taught young not to expect much from men. He hadn't been perfect to her, but she was safe at least. _

_**You promised me everything  
You promised me thick and thin, yeah  
Now you just say, "Oh, Romeo, yeah,  
You know, I used to have a scene with him"**_

"_Jackie," he whispered, nudging her lightly. "You should get in bed."_

"_Hm?" she moaned against his chest, stretching slightly before relaxing back into him again, her tiny arms tucking tightly into an X between them as she snuggled in._

_He held her for another moment and soaked it all in before letting go again. "I'm gonna go, Jackie. He's not coming back tonight." _

_There was no more noise from her, though. So he nudged again and quickly gave up, realizing that, after the kind of night she'd had, she was better off asleep._

_**Juliet, when we made love you used to cry  
You said "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die"  
There's a place for us, you know the movie song  
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong? **_

_**Juliet...**_

_Slipping off the couch, Hyde stood and scooped her up. "C'mere," he said, settling her into his arms. He moved quietly, and quickly, and so gently that she barely stirred as he got her into her room and set her down on her bed, giving her forehead a light kiss. _

"_Be careful, babe," he whispered and walked out of her life for another two and half year cycle, the one that would matter most, though. The one that was going to, one day, actually count._

_He wasn't sorry he'd asked her, he decided as he left, even though she'd told him no. She was right anyway. He screwed things up too badly and, besides, he was a little relieved that she had turned him down, now that he was sober. At this point in his life, he wasn't capable of being with her. Nor was she ready to forgive him. But he'd look out for her in the meantime anyway, from a distance, until the day she didn't need him anymore, which, not surprisingly, turned out to be a lot sooner than he'd expected…_

_**I can't do the talk, so, like the talk on the TV  
And I can't do a love song like the way it's meant to be  
I can't do everything, but I'll do anything for you  
I can't do anything except be in love with you**_

Resting his groggy head against hers, Hyde was starting to realize that this was all getting too real as the end of the week loomed. Almost everyone knew now. And he was really, possibly, about to break up with Jessica in a couple of days, which still bothered him a little. But what scared him more was the prospect of completely committing himself to Jackie. If she broke up with Colin for him, she was going to expect in return all the things that the man had been offering.

Marriage, kids, forever.

**…**_**And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be  
All I do is keep the beat and the bad company  
And all I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme  
Juliet, I'd do the stars with you any time**_

He wondered how in two weeks it had all come down to this—how Leo ended up dying in a hospital bed, how his store wound up in shambles, why the storms would never end, how Jess had lost her place in line, how Jackie ended up frying on acid and gazing at the stars from his lap. That part made him smirk. Still, though, the stress was making his throat dry, so he cleared it, startling the body against him for a moment. He needed a drink, he needed to lay off the drugs, and he needed some damn sleep.

But, for now, there was not much else to do but wait—wait for Jessica to come home, wait for that moment when he had to tell her that they were over, that he had a chance that he just couldn't let slip by—wait for Jackie to decide, to choose him over the million promises that Colin had made her—wait for her to crush him when she said no. Wait for Friday. Just…wait.

_**Juliet, when we made love you used to cry  
You said, "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die"  
And there's a place for us, you know the movie song  
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?**_

_**Juliet…**_

"I'm cold, Steven," he heard come softly from inside his arms.

Hyde closed his eyes. Things were moving in the bushes and in the trees, faces were laughing at him and he couldn't stop thinking. Burying his head in her hair, he squeezed his half-mooned girlfriend a little tighter to keep her warm. These were some of the strangest days he'd ever known. And, after tonight, they couldn't get much stranger…

Feeling so much warmer, Jackie adjusted their blanket and looked up with her deceiving eyes. Thankfully he still looked like himself. She smiled as she watched him turn his eyes to the sky like a child. He was seeing what she was seeing. The branches of trees were entire worlds with people and life, moving all around them. And the stars tonight looked like diamonds sparkling in the night sky. That warm feeling rising, Jackie hugged Hyde as hard as she could. God. It was like heaven in this one spot.

_**A love struck Romeo sings the streets a serenade  
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made  
Finds a convenient streetlight, steps out of the shade  
Says something like, "You and me, babe, how about it?"**_

On the crown of her head, she felt a kiss land. "Steven?" she asked, looking up and causing the whole group to look over at the broken silence.

"Huh?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

He nodded, taking notice of the watching eyes around them.

_**..You and me, babe, how about it…**_

"Do you promise you'll answer?"

"What is it, Jackie?"

She paused, taking herself deep into thought before looking back up. "Do you love me?"

To Be Continued.

* * *

**A/N2:** This wasn't supposed to be the ending, but since I adjusted chapters, this is how it ended. Hehe. Eerily similar to last chapter. But I liked the slight irony. So, yeah. Oh, and come back next chapter. I think you'll find it very interesting. Anyway, did I lose anybody? Did I take too long to post? Who's still with me? 


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**: **Countdown to a Brighter Discontent**

**A/N: **I am a bad fanfic author. I know. I am so sorry. Is anybody still reading? I swear, this was a really hard chapter to write and I will not take this long next time. And if I could hug you all, I would. Ok, so there is a single "flashback" in this chapter. I say it like that because it doesn't belong to anyone in particular. It's not a memory. It just is. It's split up into different parts and going backwards in time. Think of it as a separate entity from the story but having an impact. Does that make sense? So if things seem funky, it's 'cause I have still yet to explain them. Be patient. I'm a strange storyteller. I just hope it's not too confusing. And please don't argue with me over the acid trip. I have experience and this is taken from several of them. Alrighty, well. Enjoy…

**Music:** I, of course, recommend listening to both songs:

#1 – Witchy Woman – The Eagles

#2 – I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues – Elton John (marked with xxxxx) Btw. At Youtube, if you type in "Elton John Retro" the video pops up as #2.

* * *

**Previously:**

"Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it, Jackie?"

"Do you love me?"

* * *

_Donna stopped her forward moving friend. She was following him like a little puppy, the way she used to, like he was the only one on Earth who mattered. "No, no, no. Hyde's a big boy, Jackie."_

_A pout came over the brunette as she turned to her oldest friend. "But Steven, he's…"_

"_No, Jackie. He and Eric will be back. I'll take care of you." _

"_But…" The confusion in her head was coming in slices. It wasn't that she couldn't think clearly. It was that she was too far deep in her own mind to accurately interpret all the outside stimulation that was entering her brain. And her vision was distracting the little bit that did make it through. _

_It was beautiful, though. For the most part. The world around her presented like a realist painting, the edges smudged just so. Just enough to make things pretty, rounding out the earth into a soft cottony canvas, full of rich color. Her favorite was the thick orange-red glow of their campfire. According to Hyde, she was safe from the bad things near those flames. And near him. He would keep them from her. He promised. He would keep the dark tops of the trees away. _

_Jackie's bottom lip quivered. But now he was leaving her. And her giant-footed goon of a friend wouldn't let her follow. They were a team, she and he, and the woods would know when they parted. Things always got bad when they parted. It was only a matter of time before the darkness would sense that he was gone and come for her again. And Colin was so, so far away, too far away to help. _

"_But Donna…" Jackie began to cry, yanking and twisting her bound hand desperately. "He can't leave me. Steven!" she screamed out to him. "Donna! Please!"_

_The sober redhead sighed, finally seeming to feel some mercy for her distressed friend. "Damn it! Hyde! Get back here!" _

_Twenty yards ahead, Hyde and Eric turned around as Jackie broke free from Donna's grasp and began to run._

_Brooke stood up from her seat and walked over. "Donna, what are you doing? She can't go with them." Before Donna responded, though, both girls watched their friend jump into Hyde's arms and attack his mouth with a needy kiss, as if he'd been gone for a lifetime._

"_No, I know," Donna agreed quietly. "But she won't stop crying for him. And anyway, it was a bad idea to send those two dinks off by themselves. I'll just go with Eric and Hyde can stay here and watch her."_

"_Hyde can't watch anybody right now," Brooke reminded her._

"_Yeah, I know. But they were happy together. And quiet."_

"_Don't leave me," they heard Jackie pleading to him behind desperate kisses. "Don't leave me. Don't leave me…" _

"_I won't," was his only response as he kissed back. _

_Donna sighed and lowered her head. "Just sit them down and let 'em go at it. I give up…"_

* * *

**Wednesday, November 14, 1984 **

**7:04 a.m.**

**Silverweed Lake, Wisconsin**

Forced from sleep, Jackie's eyes snapped open when an earsplitting crack rippled through her body and violently shook the sky above her.

"Oh, man! Did you hear that one?!"

"No, Kelso. I missed it," she heard Hyde's sardonic, but sleepy, voice say from at least a few feet away. "What happened?"

"Well there was just this monster thunder crash!"

Through her morning squint, Jackie watched a blurry Donna laugh. "I think he heard it, Kelso. He was just being a smartass." The redhead turned to her side and faced Jackie. "Hey." She smiled. "You're awake."

"Yeah," Jackie groaned blearily, stretching her limbs. "Where's Steven?"

Rolling her eyes, the redhead tipped her head and aimed her sights behind Jackie's head, making the brunette turn.

And there her eyes found him, sitting in the front seat, his body pitched forward while blue eyes swept across a gray morning sky. It was dreary out, but brightly so. And freezing cold, Jackie realized as she began to feel the frosty air's effect on her skin. And while she watched him, hugging a blanket to herself, she wondered why he was so far away and not right beside her. How in the hell had _any_ of them gotten where they lay?

"So how are you feeling?"

"Huh?" Jackie looked back at Donna again and returned her head to the jacket that seemed to be functioning as her pillow. It was Hyde's. She could smell him all over it. Though, she couldn't remember how it got here. "Oh. Wait, what?"

Donna laughed. "Jackie. Are you alright? Are you feeling, okay?"

Unaware that Hyde was now watching her, Jackie shook her head. "Why are we in the stupid van still? Why aren't we home yet?"

"You don't remember?" Donna asked.

"Remember what?"

"Last night. It was late and all of you morons were frying and Brooke and I didn't wanna drive in the rain." Jackie shrugged, her eyebrows crinkling in confusion. "You don't remember the whole seat fiasco?"

Jackie pondered a moment. She didn't remember much at all about the night before, only a few glimpses of trees, and dancing, and kissing Hyde weakly flickered as memory. "No."

Her face falling into a scowl, Donna sat up and glared straight into the crystal blue eyes of the guilty. "You idiot, you turned her into Leo!"

"Crap." Upon the accusation, Hyde left his seat up front and trampled over the lumpy blanket that was Kelso and then more carefully over Brooke to the back seat, which was also laid flat for Jackie and Donna. "Hey." Sitting down, he directed Jackie to her back and studied her eyes with a grimace. "You alright?"

She frowned. "No. I mean, yeah, I am, but…" Cutting off her words, though, was another sharp thunder crash.

Donna flinched. "Jesus Christ."

"I think it's right over us," Brooke uttered quietly to Jackie's left. But the brunette didn't hear a thing. Her gaze froze solid on Hyde, who hovered curiously above her, and she quietly wished the rest away. She just wanted to sleep, wrapped up in him all snug and warm. That sounded so good right now.

Jackie shrugged happily and a sudden desire to touch him made her hands rise to meet his cold cheeks. They were so cold and raw. And he looked exhausted, almost sick.

"Poor baby," Jackie cooed, raising her arms and cuffing them around his neck. Carefully, she brought his head down to rest on her shoulder while his body slowly followed, sinking his weight down over her. She kissed his temple, expecting to feel warm skin. "God. You're freezing, Steven." Immediately, Jackie whipped her head right with a stern look. "Donna. Go sleep up with Eric."

"What? No way. There are no blankets up there."

"Well, Steven's sleeping here with me."

"Jackie. There's no room."

"Then move your big bubble butt over, Donna!"

Hyde smiled and raised his head. "Hey, there's no need to fight, girls. There's plenty of me to go around."

Jackie glared at him. "Steven. Shut it," she demanded, forcing his head back down.

Kelso sat up. "Wait. Hyde's sleeping _here_ now? So it's not gonna just be me and the three chicks anymore? Great. Now it's not like sexy sleepover! Thanks a lot, Hyde!"

Hyde popped his head back up. "Would you shut up, Kelso?"

"No! You shut up!"

"Alright, _everyone_ shut up!" Brooke shouted, causing the van to go quiet. "That's better."

"Hyde, you suck," Kelso muttered quietly.

Jackie grabbed Hyde as he started to lunge at his friend. "Steven. No!" Using her hands to grip his face, she forced his attention back on her. "Now lay down," she whispered with a smile and a tiny kiss for his lips. "We can play under the covers."

Hyde smirked.

"Ew! No, you cannot play under the freakin' covers, Jackie!" Donna nudged the two bodies beside her. "Not with me under the same covers. Got it?"

"Too late, Donna," Kelso laughed. "I heard them doin' it last night right next to you."

"What!"

"Michael. Shut up. We did not do it." Jackie frowned and looked at Hyde. "Wait. Did we do it?"

Hyde shook his head. Fucked up as he was, he would have remembered that.

"Oh, oops. I was thinking of Jackie and _Fez_," Kelso corrected himself.

Hyde sneered at that. "Wait. Fez?"

"Yeah, I must have been having horror flashbacks of Jackie and Fez doing it."

"You didn't nail Fez?" Hyde said, turning to Jackie. "Did you?"

"What? No. Michael." The brunette sat up slightly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just making sure Hyde knows where you've been since you guys broke up."

"Michael!"

"What, like Hyde was with better?" Brooke chimed in, sniping at her fiancé.

"No, I just like rubbing it in to Hyde that Jackie moved right to Fez after him. And that they_ totally _did it."

"So wait," Hyde looked at Jackie and grimaced. "You _did _screw Fez? He told me you didn't."

Jackie's face flattened at the tone of his voice and at the revolted look on his face. He was judging her. "You know, it's none of your business whether I did or not." She motioned her hands between them "_We_ weren't together. Remember?"

Kelso's jaw dropped. "Oh, buuuuurn!"

"That's a yes!" Eric shouted from up front, reaching his arm back for Kelso to slap.

"It is NOT a yes!"

Donna cringed. "She did _not_ have sex with Fez, you guys." Her expression changing, the redhead leaned forward. "Wait, did you?"

Jackie turned on her side. "Oh my God."

"Michael," Brooke slapped him, flashing a knowing glare in his direction. "This isn't funny anymore. Knock it off."

"Fine. I forgot." Kelso sighed, sincerely regretting his thoughtless plan to burn Hyde. "I'm sorry, Jackie."

"Whatever, Michael. Just leave me alone." Jackie shut her eyes and tucked her face into her pillow, breaking herself away from the look that Hyde was giving her. It was sobering, and damning, all at the same time. Like he was seeing her the way she was back then. Disgusting to him. And for a moment, that part of her returned. That broken girl who _felt_ disgusting. And so unbelievably unwanted.

Hyde was lingering, though, on the edge. She could sense his slow stagger. And she waited. But it was almost a minute later when he finally laid his head back down next to hers and draped his arm over her waist. It was then that Jackie realized she had been holding her breath for him like a fool and inhaled deeply.

She wanted to cry as the van turned quiet. She _was_ a fool.

Truth be told, she hadn't slept with Fez. Not because she hadn't wanted to, but because she had been waiting. Somewhere inside. For him. And it wasn't until he had whispered a cruel goodbye into her ear at a birthday party, finally giving her the okay to let him go, that she was able to lend her body, what she had once promised to him forever, to another.

It had been on that night that she knew. He wasn't coming back. And she was free.

Snuggled against her, Hyde shut his eyes too, burying his face deep into her neck as he whispered the final word on the matter. "I don't care if you did…"

* * *

…A Couple of Hours Later…

Denny's – Somewhere in Wisconsin

There was a loud squeal, a happy one, and Donna turned to see before stepping into the restaurant. Beneath the bright afternoon sky, Jackie was laughing inside Hyde's arms while the day's rain closed in around them.

It was an endearing scene. Donna could at least admit that to herself. They looked happy, as if they were living in the beginnings of some romantic, albeit twisted, movie. Her focus, however, was on Hyde. Well, on his smile mostly. He wasn't talking, only grinning like a fool as Jackie tried to hide from the rain against the shelter of his body. Donna watched him shut his eyes as she hugged him tightly. He was happy, genuinely happy it appeared, despite the fact that he was, again, destroying his life.

"Steven!" Upon the small brunette's demand, Hyde protected her with his coat and pushed for her to run.

Donna frowned in curiosity as they headed toward the door where she stood. It was still bothering her, the whole situation. She had watched Hyde deteriorate after his wife left, attributing it to the fact that he was finally alone to deal with his mistakes. But Donna wasn't stupid; she knew why he had stayed with Samantha. The girl was his perfect excuse to not have to go back to Jackie. She had broken his heart. And he was done. He had even said so much, in his own subtle way. But in those years after, he had giving up on caring about women. And to those unlucky enough to have him in those years, he was detached and merciless. He had lost his heart. And Donna blamed that fact on Jackie. She just couldn't help it.

"Hey. You coming inside or what?" Hyde asked her as the pair approached. Jackie, on the other hand, didn't say a word as she walked inside the restaurant without him.

Donna grabbed his hand before he could follow. "Hyde, wait." She finally had him alone. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to have breakfast."

"Hyde. I'm being serious. What about Jess? You know, you're girlfriend…_Jessica_." Donna let go of his hand. "What happened, Hyde? I mean, I thought you really liked…No. You know what. I thought you really loved her."

"I've already told you," Hyde responded, grabbing the restaurant door and swinging it open. "I don't love people."

Donna narrowed her eyes at him as he walked into the restaurant. "You're so full of shit, Hyde..."

Inside, Hyde took a seat near the window and unconsciously raised his hand out to Jackie as he grabbed a menu. Taking their own seats, the other two couples watched Jackie scoot in and tuck her body against his, laying her head down on his shoulder like she had a million times before. Together, they read the morning specials. And just like in those faraway days, the gang was way past the shock of it. Only uneasy looks and a few sighs were left to remind Jackie and Hyde that their infidelity was not going to be supported. 

Not by these friends.

"What are you gonna get?" Jackie asked Hyde.

"Pancakes."

She smiled. "Well then I will, too."

"Oh, for God sake's," Donna grumbled. "Get a room."

"You're just jealous, Donna, because you and Eric haven't had sex in two months."

Eric's jaw dropped. "Donna!"

"Jackie!" Donna yelled.

"Oops." Jackie cringed and leaned closer toward Hyde. "Don't let her sit on me."

But Donna's scowl would not relent. "Why would you do that, Jackie? That was a private conversation!"

"Because I'm pissed at you!"

"Why…What…Why are would you be pissed at me?"

"Wait…" Jackie looked around, searching for the answer. "Steven, why am I pissed at her?" Hyde just shrugged, leaving Jackie to simply turn back to her friend. "I guess I just am. I forget why. But I feel like it's for a really good reason."

Sitting across from her, Kelso raised his hand. "I remember why!"

"Really," Donna said, "Well spill it, Kelso."

"Because you yelled at Jackie and Hyde last night when they were making out. Oh! Oh! And there was a huge fight over…uh…cats wearing clothes."

"No, Michael." Brooke slapped his arm. "That was us. Two days ago. Jackie's mad because Donna and I aren't letting either one of them forget that they are c_heating_ and that it's _wrong_."

Jackie's mouth fell open. "What. So you're on her side now?" she asked, thumbing at Donna.

"No," Brooke snapped loudly. "I'm on your side, stupid. We both are. HE…" She shouted, pointing at Hyde, "is going to break your heart again, Jackie! Because _that's_ what he does."

"Hey. Come on. Leave him the hell alone," Eric chimed in. "They both screwed up."

Finally joining in on his own trial, Hyde slapped his menu down on the table. "Alright. Why doesn't _everyone_ just shut the fuck up about what's mine and Jackie's business!"

Donna started to open her mouth when Brooke beat her to it. "Because you weren't there. Were you, _Hyde? _When she would cry her eyes out over your stupid ass. You were too busy with your stripper wife. So don't you dare include yourself in _her_ business."

The two held their strong gaze on each other. Hyde was shocked. He had no idea Brooke hated him so much. Though, it was clear that she was only defending her friend today, simply by the way her eyes softened slightly. But there was hate there. He could see it. It made him look away first while Jackie's arm slid away from his. He was amongst friends, his oldest, but on this morning, for the first time, he felt like an outsider. Women knew how to do that to him. It was what he hated about them. They were the only breed in the world that knew how to make him feel like shit.

Eric offered the table a wry smile as he unfolded a napkin over his lap. "Well this is gonna be a pleasant breakfast."

"Mm," Jackie let out, trying to decide what to say. She could change the subject and tell everyone about the car that runs on water and how Hyde had finally found it. She wasn't sure why, but he hadn't told them yet. Or she could try to defend him. But she did neither. She was distracted. And one thing was bothering her. The thing that had sparked this whole conversation in the first place. Why had she been mad at Donna? It was a question that would plague her through breakfast and the rest of the day.

* * *

_…The Night Before…_

_She had smiled like the sun. And his blue eyes had smiled back. No matter how many miles had passed, it was still so surreal to be this utterly close to him again. _

_And so, like a child, she laughed, closing her eyes at the elation. He was still so, so new to her heart and the breadth of her skin. _

_And, like a lover, she remembered. They had been young, dancing in a high school gym, just like this, while Elton's voice purred around them, fashioning into music those feelings that those first months together would bring. _

_And, like a warm blanket, the campfire flickered in his pupils. The effect being amazing, bringing heat to the cold blue ring of his eyes and to this chilly November night in his arms. So very far away from that dance. _

_And, like a memory, the cozy smell of wood burning made her press her chest and stomach harder against his. God help her. He felt so good it almost hurt._

_Jackie bit back her bottom lip to contain a smile as she reached up to touch his face. _

"_They can't get us if we're smiling."_

_He raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Nope."_

_Jackie beamed languidly. "Or if we're kissing." _

_From there her heart tottered in anticipation, delighted when he leaned down, his eyes falling shut as his mouth opened and quickly found hers. All this time… A small moan escaped at the zealous pressure of his kiss. God. All this time and that kiss would still fare the same. Like the moment before a long fall. He still did it to her. And two weeks of making out had only made it burn stronger. _

_Drawn into the feeling, she wrapped her arms around his head, mashing her lips into his and stretching her tongue deeper into his mouth. She was struck with a strange sense of freedom when his body pitched forward and bent her spine back from the tight hold his arms had on her waist. Jackie smiled and let herself fall further backwards until her eyes reached the sky and his lips, the most tender parts of her neck. "God, Steven."_

"_Okay. I can't watch this anymore. Eric, just take Hyde with you to go find Kelso's keys. I'll stay with Jackie."_

"_Oh, thank God," Brooke cut in. "I just…I just can't help but feel so bad for Colin… Michael! Would you stop watching them like that?!"_

"_What? I'm just…But look at them kiss."_

"_Michael!"_

"_Fine! God!"_

"_Jackie!" _

_A hand yanked Jackie's shoulder backwards, forcing her to break her connection with Hyde and turn her head. It was Brooke, scowling with her hands on her hips. "What do you want, Brooke?" Hyde, though, was clueless to the intrusion and still kissing her neck as she waited for her friend to speak. _

_Indignant, Brooke dropped her hands to her sides. "Just…Go see Donna! She has something to tell you."_

_Jackie frowned and shifted her attention back to Hyde, who only stared drowsily at her lips. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot. And she found herself staring at his mouth, too, narrowing her eyes at the want she was feeling for him. "Don't move, baby…"_

* * *

_Point Place, Wisconsin_

_Donna and Eric's Apartment_

_1:26 p.m._

The caravan was finally home, back from their strange trip, and everyone quickly hopped out of the van. As they all scattered, though, barely speaking, Hyde stopped Eric and pulled him aside. "Hey, Forman. I gotta ask you something."

"About what… Jackie?"

"Yeah." Temporarily relinquishing his cool, Hyde took a deep breath and shamefully locked his eyes on a car a few feet away. "I don't know what the hell to do, man."

"What. You mean…because of Jessica."

Hyde looked at friend, surprised at his perceptiveness. "Yeah." But it was cool. He wouldn't have to explain much. Hopefully. So, Hyde relaxed a little. "She's driving me nuts, man. One minute she acts like everything's cool and the next she's all, '_No, I can't_. _Blah, blah, blah Colin_."

Pensively, Eric nodded. "So when's Jessica get home?"

"Friday night."

"So what is it exactly you're asking me, man?"

Hyde swallowed and dropped his eyes to the ground. Here was the tough part for him. "Well…How the hell do I get Jackie to…you know…"

"Pick_ you_?"

Hyde looked up again. "Yeah," he replied, while the thought of time, the way it was closing in on him, started to make him anxious. He brought his hand to the back of his neck and started to nervously rub. "I've done everything, Forman." He shook his head, disgusted with himself, and dropped his arm. "For the last two weeks I've acted like a complete pussy."

Eric nodded. "Ah, yes. The pussification of the man." He knew it well. "That's about the bottom of the barrel."

"Yeah. And she still can't give me an answer." Hyde watched, waiting as Eric touched his thumb and index finger to his chin.

"Well, I'm not gonna pretend that I know much about Jackie's kind. And even though I'm pretty sure she's pure evil at her core, I'm gonna assume that she has all the distinctive girl parts. Right? Breasts, soft skin, irrational reactions to gifts..." Hyde raised his eyebrows and waited. "Alright. Well if you want my help, you're going to have to do exactly as I say. You're going to have to become…well, me."

Hyde started to laugh. "Man, why am I even asking you? You're always screwing things up with Donna."

"But I still _have_ Donna. Don't I?"

"Maybe," Hyde responded. "But you've never had _Jackie_."

"And thank God for that."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Look, man. My point is that Jackie's in a class all by herself. You have no idea, Forman. She's a pain in the God damn ass and I don't think acting like," Hyde started to laugh again, "you…is gonna help me."

"Yeah and acting like _you_ got you real far." Accepting that truth, Hyde sighed and tossed his hand up for Eric to continue. "Alright…It's real simple. Just put all your 'Hyde' crap aside and make sure she knows that you want her and that you'll do anything to have her. That's what I would do. And then just give her time to think about it, man. She'll come around."

"But Jessica…"

Eric frowned. "Okay, so on Thursday night just tell her that you need to know by the next morning. Give her a deadline. Girls love deadlines."

Hyde grimaced. "What?"

"Yeah. It gives them something to strive for, you know?" Eric smiled. "Like a goal."

Hyde grimaced ten times worse than before. "Man, Forman. Why the hell do I even listen to you?"

A look of ambivalence accompanied the thinner man's raised eyebrows. "Cause I'm the Formanator and you know what's up."

Hyde's face ran flat. "You know, I would kick your ass for saying that if I wasn't so tired." He scoffed, shaking his head, and headed for his car as Eric smiled proudly to himself.

"The Formanator…It'll catch on…"

* * *

…Fifteen Minutes Later…

Hyde's Apartment

Hyde turned the key to his door and pushed it wide open. And with a swagger, Jackie entered his apartment. He followed of course, watching her ass sway as she turned her head and smiled. "Finally," she sighed, letting her body fall onto his couch. "Alone."

Making a beeline for that very spot that held her, Hyde smiled back and slipped off his coat, dropping it to the floor. He plopped down next to her and leaned in for a kiss. "So, what do you wanna do?"

"Mm…Just sit with you," she said, wrapping her arms around his.

"Cool." Hyde yawned, never so relieved to dodge sex. He was exhausted. And so was she; he could tell by the fact that her mouth wasn't running. And she looked it. Hyde reached over and grabbed his remote. "You wanna watch TV?"

"Mmm."

"Yeah," he mumbled back, stopping at his new favorite channel since getting cable: MTV. That completed, Hyde dropped the remote in his lap and settled deep into his couch, getting comfortable as Jackie put her head on his shoulder.

"Is this how it would be?" Jackie asked him quietly. "Like this?"

"Something like it, I guess."

Jackie smiled. "Do you remember how bored we would get in Eric's basement when everyone was gone? Especially when we were finished doing it and there would be nothing else to do."

"Yeah," Hyde chuckled weakly. "I think I remember."

"But even with nothing to do, just sitting there, playing chess or making fun of Eric and Donna's relationship, I still would have rather been with you. Bored out of our minds."

"That's 'cause I'm cooler than everyone else."

"Yeah," she said, running her fingernails up his arm. "But I made you cooler." She watched the way her fingernails left little raised bumps on his flesh. "Hey, Steven. Do you remember last night?"

He frowned. "Most of it. Why? You still can't remember?"

"No, I remember stuff. But it's like in pieces." Jackie frowned. "I remember you yelling my name. But I can't remember why. What happened?"

Hyde raised an eyebrow. "Uh." He cleared his throat. "Well. You were dancing… with Kelso… right next to the fire and…"

…_The Night Before…_

Raven hair and ruby lips  
Sparks fly from her finger tips  
Echoed voices in the night  
She's a restless spirit on an endless flight

_What he didn't mention was that she was watching him lewdly as she danced and freaking him the hell out. The dark orange glow from the flames had shone up on her face, nearly demonizing her typically angelic features. From there, his own lascivious eyes traced the curviest lines of her contour down to where her hour-glassed body rolled and twisted for him, her dark hair dipping low as she arched her back and made her hands billow toward the night sky like smoke. And that was when he knew. She had to be evil. Had to be. _

_For it was all becoming so clear. That Forman had been right all along. _

_The girl was a she-devil. The most wicked that Hades had to offer._

Wooo hooo witchy woman  
See how high she flies  
Woo hoo witchy woman  
She got the moon in her eye

_Far too convinced of it, Hyde blinked several times, trying to coax himself out of his delusion. He didn't like it. Everything was so dark feeling. But he couldn't. She was bewitching him, hypnotic as she tongued the sky and laughed, howling at the moon like a hound from hell. Behind her, Kelso gripped her gyrating hips and grinded against her, smirking at Hyde as he did. _

_Hyde's jaw clenched. _

_She knew what she was doing to him—they both did—making him want her, making him drunk with a perverted sort of desire. It was all so twisted. And he found himself filled with a sick fascination, attracted to the fact that she was taunting him with his best friend, her ex, and the scapegoat for all their failures. _

She held me spellbound in the night  
Dancing shadows and firelight  
Crazy laughter in another room and  
She drove herself to madness with a silver spoon

_Hyde shut his eyes. Fuck. This was crazy. It wasn't real. _

_Shaking his head, he willed himself to sober up and placed his palms over his possessed pupils. They were interpreting things all fucked up. Sending him straight to his own version of Hell. She wasn't evil. It wasn't the girl. It was the drug. And he wasn't heeding his own advice. The fire. It was his friend. And she was, too. She wouldn't betray him, not again. _

_Or would she?_

Wooo hooo witchy woman  
See how high she flies  
Woo hoo witchy woman  
She got the moon in her eye

_Hyde heard her laugh again and shut his eyes tighter to the trip. This was bad. He wanted out. _

"_Jackie!" he yelled angrily, his eyes still shut behind his balled fists. "Jackie!"_

"_Hyde, are you alright?" _

_It was Donna. And within seconds he felt her breeze cool his left arm as she rushed to his side. "Hyde?"_

"_Where's Jackie?"_

"_Steven. I'm right here." She was close, and short of breath. Hyde dropped his hands—the campfire blinding him momentarily—and looked to his right to see a blurry, but jovial, smile. The firelight was now level with her features and she was back. No longer tormenting him. Not totally anyway._

_Only slightly comforted, Hyde lips fell into a horrified pout. "I don't think I like this stuff."_

"_Oh, baby…" _

Jackie frowned. "Ok, so I sat down next to you and then what?"

"Huh? Oh. Well..." Hyde looked up at her. "You hugged me."

"And then?"

"And then…I kissed you."

Jackie smiled, tilting her head. She looked him up and down before giving his lips a kiss of her own. "I'm gonna go take a shower, and brush my teeth, and so are you, and then…we're just gonna hang out. You and me." She ran a finger down the middle of chest. "It's our last night together."

"I know," he acknowledged. "It doesn't have to be, though."

"I know," she smiled, giving him one more peck before skipping off to take a shower, leaving him to wonder just what the hell was going on in that dopey little cheerleader brain of hers. Evil. Pure evil...

* * *

…One hour later…

Scrumptiously clean, Jackie wiggled her body and beamed brightly as she walked past Hyde. He was back on the couch, watching MTV and sneering as an Elton John video began to play. And as he reached for the remote, Jackie pointed at him. "Don't' you dare. I like this song."

xxxxx

Annoyed, Hyde dropped the remote and closed his eyes.

_Don't wish it away  
Don't look at it like it's forever_

"Steven," Jackie called, rocking her hips to the music. "Steee-ven." At the second voicing of his name, Hyde reopened his eyes and smirked at what he saw.

She was still so damned amazing, albeit dressed in thick flannel jammies, but still moving her young body for him. He should've been all over her, pouncing like a hungry animal and ripping those jammies to shreds. But his own body was exhausted for some reason and only his mind and heart remained.

_Between you and me I could honestly say  
That things can only get better_

From his seat on the couch, he watched Jackie blush as she began to slip button after button through the small holes in her top. And after almost nine years, clarity finally found him. He didn't deserve this girl's attention. The way he had treated her over the years, and she was still here, smiling at him with so much light in her eyes. It was unreal…

…Minneapolis, Minnesota…

_And while I'm away  
Dust out the demons inside_

Bored, Jessica placed her cheek in her palm and rolled her eyes. All around her, a dozen expensive suits droned on about advertising specs and viewer demographics. A coffee machine steamed in the corner while a dozen croissants slowly turned stale.

A million miles away, though, Jessica closed her shadowed eyes.

_And it won't be long  
Before you and me run_

She wanted to care, wanted to succeed, especially with her father always watching her like a hawk. But this just wasn't her scene. And as much as her father tried, he just couldn't draw her into his frosty world. She was happier in her warm little town, with her incredible man, doing what normal people like to do.

"Jessica."

_To the place in our hearts where we hide_

A dreamy smile accompanied an image of him. Of Hyde, looking down at her while a white sheet floated down behind him. She remembered giggling at the grin on his face and her nose stung with a joyful burn. God. Missing him was proving to be a stronger pain than she had assumed it would be. But she just couldn't shake the thought of him. Nor did she ever want to.

"Jessica!"

Jessica's eyes snapped wide open. "Huh…"

_And I guess that's why they call it the blues  
Time on my hands could be time spent with you_

…Point Place, Wisconsin…

"Jesus Christ, Jackie…" Practically debilitated, Hyde groaned and shut his eyes, temporarily stumbling as Jackie fastened her warm, wet mouth to his ear. "Fuck." His hand fell to the hallway wall beside him. He knew his gait wasn't that steady with her in his arms and all he wanted to do was get her to his bed and lay her down. But she kept distracting him, leaving breathy moans in his ear and open-mouthed kisses all over his neck.

_Laughing like children, livin' like lovers  
Rolling like thunder under the covers_

She was topless and her hips were rolling in his arms, grinding that warm place between her thighs flush against his hardening shaft, and it was about as much as he could take. Impatiently, Hyde turned his head, seeking her mouth, and slid his tongue between her lips to force a brutal kiss.

_And I guess that's why they call it the blues_

"God…" _Still standing_. Abruptly, Hyde pulled away and scowled at her. "Wait. No! Bad girl! Behave until I get to the room!"

At his command, Jackie's narrowed eyes only danced eagerly between his, more encouraged than ever. And in a surprise attack, she lunged forward, seizing Hyde's mouth forcefully and causing them to both tumble to the floor…

…New York, New York…

_Just stare into space  
Picture my face in your hands_

It was sunny in New York City on this Wednesday afternoon. The air was cold. But the sun shone like a new day as Colin walked along the busy sidewalk of 57th street.

And between his fingers, a new diamond sparkled.

_Live for each second without hesitation  
And never forget I'm your man_

"I can't believe you're quitting, man," his friend, Adam, groused as they walked. "This is complete shit! Who the fuck am I gonna room with out here? Carlisle?" He scoffed. "You could've warned me. Faggot."

"Hey. I just decided, alright." Placing the ring back in its box, Colin looked up in time to see a young couple walk by. The woman was a brunette, small like his girl, but no where near as beautiful. "Anyway, I'm gonna lose her if I don't."

_Wait on me, girl  
Cry in the night if it helps_

Disgusted, Adam shook his head. "How much did that thing cost anyway? Let me have it." He reached out, only to have Colin to shove his arm away.

"Man. Get the hell off. Who knows where that hand has been…And it was six thousand." Colin smiled at the velvet box in the palm of his hand. "She's gonna go nuts when she's sees it."

_But more than ever, I simply love you  
More than I love life itself_

"Six fucking…Are you sure this girl is worth six grand?"

At the insult, Colin punched his oldest friend hard in his arm. "Yes…"

…Point Place, Wisconsin…

_And I guess that's why they call it the blues  
Time on my hands could be time spent with you_

Lost in the momentum of their excited state, Jackie laughed against Hyde's smirking lips, leaning forward as he backed away and stood at the foot of his bed to whip off his shirt. Before the garment could even hit the floor, though, he had pounced again, pushing her to her back as his mouth zeroed in on the edge of her throat and sent her into a giggling fit.

"Ah! Ste-e-ven!"

_Laughing like children  
Living like lovers_

And in one half-mooned tumble, Jackie found herself on top, straddling and kissing him wildly. They were surrounded by sheets. And blankets were plentiful. Clothing was strewn all over the floor and the music wailed on as Jackie and Hyde tried so hard not to smile. It was hard to kiss when you couldn't shake off the bliss, even for a second. They rolled again until Hyde was back on top; pushing his body into hers and marking a goose bump trail with his lips all over her skin.

_Rolling like thunder  
Under the covers_

From her position beneath him, Jackie watched with elated eyes as Hyde abruptly sat up and reached his arms back, his tongue slung out of his mouth in purpose. She had no idea what he was up to. But when he threw his hands toward the ceiling, bringing with them a thin white sheet, she knew. He was playing… like he used to. And Jackie beamed as it floated down around them, making them disappear beneath it as Hyde reclaimed her mouth.

_And I guess that's why they call it the blues…_

* * *

…_The Night Before…_

_The fire had been roaring, moving and forming pictures right in the middle of the molten masterpiece that they had built for themselves. In front of it, Kelso, Eric, and Hyde, with Jackie seated between his legs, all sat on the ground in a horseshoe pattern, musing over the blazing show. A sharp pop marked the broken silence as Kelso opened his mouth. "Why do people kiss, do you think?"_

_Hyde sneered and peered over. "Because it feels good, you moron."_

"_Well, yeah, Hyde. Duh. But I mean," The taller man smiled. "What made the cave people, hundreds of years ago, wanna stick their tongues down other people's throats." He laughed. "It's just weird!"_

_Disgusted at the thought, Jackie grimaced. "Yeah, and there was no toothpaste or tic-tacs or anything back then. That's just sick."_

_Nodding, Hyde raised an eyebrow as he stared into the fire. "This one time, I was watching this PBS special and it said that, deep down, people are cannibals and we kiss because we secretly want to eat each other." _

_Jackie leaned back to see his face. "Well I don't wanna eat you." _

"_Well I can't say the same, baby."_

_Jackie touched her hand to her heart and looked around, quickly bringing her adoring pout back to Hyde. "Oh, Steven." Completely enamored, she had kissed him right then. She remembered bringing her hand to his head and pulling it closer to make their mouths connect as deeply as humanly possible. And the act of kissing, itself, now seemed strange to her as they both puckered and pressed their lips together over and over. They touched tongues between each peck and knew exactly when to turn, just how widely to open their mouths and how deeply to penetrate each other. It was like a dance, kissing, so perfectly in sync. _

_Suddenly scowling, Hyde pulled away and looked to his right. "Hey. Kelso. Do you mind?"_

_The goof's face was little more than a foot away, mouth agape, tongue protruding slightly, from watching Jackie and Hyde kiss. "No. Go ahead."_

_Hyde punched him the arm. "Man. Get the hell outta here!" He sat back and rolled his eyes as Jackie settled back between his legs. "So," Hyde said, glancing over at the one who had remained silent on the issue. "What do you think, Forman? You're being quiet."_

"_I think that tree is staring at me."_

_Jackie gasped. "It was staring at me earlier." Eyes widening, Eric looked over at his would-be nemesis. If he had had the energy to have one. _

"_Has it said anything to you?"_

_Jackie shook her head. "Uh uh. You?"_

"_No. But it's freaking me out, man. I have to go pee."_

_They all sat quietly for a minute until Jackie realized something. "Well now so do I," she began to whine. "Steven."_

"_What?"_

"_How are we gonna pee? These stupid trees are alive and staring at us with their beady, red eyes." She pointed up. "See. Look up top, in the dark parts. Do you see them?"_

_Eric scooted closer to Jackie. He nodded at the brunette. "I see them."_

"_Steven," Jackie whined further._

"_God, you two chickens. It's not like they can move," Hyde reasoned. "They're stuck in the ground. So even if they wanted to eat you whole, they couldn't."_

_Obviously afraid, Eric scooted a little closer to Jackie until she put her left arm around him as all eyes scanned the forest around them. "Why would they wanna eat us whole?" Eric asked. _

"_For fuel," Kelso chimed in, scoffing. "Duh."_

"_No. You idiot," Hyde countered. "Because they're not cannibals. They eat other things…like people."_

"_Ohhh my God," Eric muttered._

_Jackie gasped yet again. "And they don't like to kiss. It all makes sense now."_

_Hyde nodded. "See. But you're safe. Because I've got your back …and I guess Forman's, too," he derided, sneering before grinning and turning his head right. "Yeah, 'cause while the trees are eating Kelso's big, fat head, we'll just make a run for it." At that, Kelso's face fell and he scooted a little closer to his friends. "Besides, everyone knows that trees hate fire. So if you stick by the fire," Hyde uttered to her, tucking his chin over her right shoulder while his arms hugged her tightly. "You'll be alright."_

_Kelso nodded. "That's true. I burned one down once and I swear I heard it screaming. True story."_

_Raising her arm, Jackie brought her hand to the nape of Hyde's neck and looked back. "So you'll keep them away from me?" Hyde nodded surely. And she kissed him._

"_Uh, excuse me," Donna's voice cut in. "Could you not make-out with Jessica's boyfriend while hugging onto mine? God, Jackie. Go find your own man."_

_Jackie broke from the kiss and looked at Eric while simultaneously letting go of him. "I…" She looked at Donna. "I wasn't…Donna, why would you say that to me? What…" She laughed nervously, frowning when it really hit her. "Wait. You think I'm hitting on your stupid boyfriend?"_

_Her arms folded, Donna leaned forward. "I'm just saying."_

"_You're just saying what?"_

"_That maybe you should be thinking about the fact that you have your tongue inside someone else's boyfriend's mouth, Jackie!"_

_The brunette pointed angrily at her taller friend. "I knew it!" _

"_You knew what?!"_

"_You're on Jessica's side!"_

"_Well maybe I am," Donna admitted. "And if Jessica were screwing Colin, Jackie, I would be on yours."_

"_It's not supposed to matter, Donna! You're supposed to be MY friend!" Jackie closed her eyes and just…started to cry. It felt like it was coming from out of nowhere, but, in reality, it was from a buildup of betrayals. "I don't like this stuff!" Jackie screamed. "I don't…I don't…I don't…"_

"_Hey, hey, hey," Hyde grabbed her head, trying to get her to look at him. But Jackie wouldn't look. She would only sob. Hyde turned to Donna. "Hey, man. Why don't you give her a fuckin' break? And shut the hell up already about Jessica! You wanna yell at someone, yell at me."_

"_I couldn't agree with that more," Brooke said from behind Donna. "He's the one you should be yelling at. He's the cheater."_

_Donna took a step forward, ignoring them both and wearing an apologetic look. "Jackie. Come on. I'm…God. Don't cry. Please, I'm sorry. I didn't…I didn't mean it like that."_

_A few feet away, Kelso watched Jackie cry and almost felt like crying, too. Maybe it was the drug or the fact that he never liked to see a girl cry, especially this one. But he just couldn't help himself. "Hey, Jackie," he said soothingly, crawling toward her. "Don't cry." He hugged her, pulling her from Hyde's arms before squarely grabbing her shoulders to look at her. He smiled. "You wanna dance with me? Like we used to."_

_The brunette smiled. He was such a good friend. "Yeah," she nodded, taking his hand and laughing as he tossed his car keys in his excitement._

"_Wahoo!"_

"_Kelso!" _

* * *

Closing his eyes, Hyde dragged his cheek along the slight curves of Jackie's bare torso, right at the spot where her stomach met her ribs, reveling in how incredibly soft she was. How smooth. And bringing his lips to her skin, he pressed a kiss deep into her flesh but soon turned to rest on his forehead. He was trying so hard, maybe too hard, to escape the dull throb in his head, distracting himself with her body. But it wasn't helping, even though she was the only place he wanted to be. The whole house felt so God damn cold, and only next to her did any heat seem to exist for him. 

Taking notice of his sluggishness, Jackie slipped her fingers into his hair to scratch lightly at his scalp. "Steven. Baby, are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah? I'm fine."

"We don't have to do this right now. We can just lie down and cuddle." Jackie smiled brightly at the idea of it. "And watch TV all snuggled up."

Bemused by her suggestion, Hyde looked up and grimaced.

"No. I said I'm fine, Jackie. I…"

Jackie's lips pursed in anger. "You don't feel good, Steven. You mule! Now c'mere." Insistently, she pulled him further up her body and coaxed him to her side. "Now look, you. Stop acting all macho man on me. I don't care if we don't do it. And…" A sultry smile washed over her face. "You know, I have many talents, Steven, besides just being a Goddess in the bedroom. I'm probably really good at taking care of people when they don't feel good. So just let me, ok?"

A little surprised by her statement, Hyde raised his eyebrows. "Jackie, I'm…"

Her brow furrowed. "Say you're fine again, Steven, and I'm gonna smack you." Knowing all too well that she wasn't kidding, Hyde relented and relaxed his head on her arm, closing his eyes immediately. "Oh, Steven." Jackie kissed his forehead and placed her cheek against it. "You listened…"

* * *

**The Next Morning**

**Thursday, November 15, 1984**

Jackie's eyelids slowly lifted. She had been dreaming. Floating through a pale blue sky. Searching the earth for the white dove whose feathers had been stolen. And right before she woke, Colin had come to her and smiled. He told her that _she_ was the dove. And that her feathers would grow back soon. To stop searching.

Still tucked in up to her nose beneath Hyde's covers, Jackie looked around. The room was a dusky dark blue while, outside, a cold rain poured. And beside her, the clock said it was nine o'clock in the morning. Strange, but time to rise, she supposed. It wasn't as if she was tired anyway. She had had a long night's rest. Hyde had fallen asleep in her arms by 7 p.m. after refusing dinner and sex. He had been complaining of a headache and had barely spoken the entire night.

Sensing his warm body beside her, Jackie rolled to her side and pulled back the covers to reveal his flushed face. "Steven." She smiled. "Steven, wake up."

Wiggling herself a little closer, Jackie draped an arm over him and snuggled up. She noticed immediately, though, that he was hot; she assumed from sleep at first. "Steven?" Frowning, she touched her hand to his cheek and gasped, pulling her hand away quickly. His skin was on fire. Almost too hot to touch.

A panic washed over her as she sat up and pulled back his covers, exposing his reddened, bare torso. "Steven. Wake up," she insisted, beginning to shake him. "Steven!" Placing her palms on his back, Jackie soon realized that the trunk of his body was scalding hot, even more so than his head. "Oh my God. Steven. You need to wake up right now."

His eyebrows creased, making Jackie close her eyes briefly in relief before leaning down. "Open your eyes, Steven."

Hyde tried to open them and immediately brought his hands to his face, a sharp sound gurgling up from his throat.

"Steven. What's wrong?"

Rolling onto his back, Hyde moaned again in a manner she had never heard before. Not from him anyway. This wasn't the moan he made when she did naughty things to him. Or when she kissed him deep and hard. This was one of pain.

"Steven, answer me. Tell me what to do."

"Jackie…Just…Shut up for a se…" He squeezed his eyes shut, hugging his own head as if he were about to cry or scream out in pain or both. "God damn it!"

All she could do was watch him and wait, left to simply rub his tummy. "Steven," she said quietly. "What hurts?"

"My whole head. My throat. My ears. Fuck. My... I…"

"I think you have a really bad fever, Steven. Your skin is so hot."

"It's not hot," Hyde pulled his knees up and ran his hand behind himself, searching for the blanket she had taken away. "It's freezing in here."

Jackie lay down beside him, positioning herself for pillow talk as her fingers traced down the side contour of his face. "No, baby. It's not." They watched each other for a moment while she searched for the usual cues, telling her that he was strong and in control. That she need not worry about him. But all she saw was a strange sadness from his eyes. They were watery and glazed over, the blue faded into gray. He blinked slowly, swallowing painfully as he did. It was the first time she had ever seen him not completely exude strength and confidence. Instead, he looked delirious and like he was being slowly chewed up from the inside out.

But worst of all, she had never felt another human being's skin burn like it was literally on fire. Hyde winced in pain again and Jackie sat up.

"That's it. I'm calling Mrs. Foreman." She expected him to protest but no such sound left him. He only closed his eyes and brought his knees to his chest as she covered him back up with the blankets. "I'll be right back," she whispered, kissing his scorching forehead before running out of his room.

Jackie ran to the phone.

_"Hello."_

"Mrs. Forman! It's Jackie."

_"Well hello, Jackie. I haven't…"_

"I'm at Steven's. He's really sick."

_"I'll be right there…"_

* * *

…Fourteen Minutes Later…

With Jackie trailing close behind, Kitty headed straight into Hyde's bedroom. "How long has he had the fever?"

"I don't know. I just woke up and he was like that."

The first thing the nurse and mother of two did was drop her purse onto the bed and reach for her adoptive son's forehead. "Jackie. In the front pocket of my purse is a thermometer wrapped in a little package and a bottle of Motrin. Grab them."

"Ok." Quickly, Jackie searched as Kitty sat down and ran her hand over Hyde's head. "Steven, honey. Wake up. We need to get you cooled down."

Noticing that he looked even worse than before, and was now curled into a ball on his side, Jackie handed Kitty the items. "He's really warm, isn't he?"

Kitty nodded and pulled the thermometer from its packaging, carefully slipping it between Hyde's lips and beneath his tongue as she glanced at her watch. "Honey," she called to Jackie. "Go see if he has any ice packs or... bags of frozen vegetables in his freezer."

"Mrs. Forman, what's wrong with him? I've never seen him like this."

"Well, that's what we're going to find out." Kitty shooed the brunette away. "Now go on. Hurry."

Jackie took off running. When she got to his freezer, she was relieved to find two frozen bags of green beans and one of sliced carrots.

"Here!" A moment later, Jackie held them out to Kitty. But the older woman had her fingers against Hyde's eyelids, spreading them apart to examine his dilated pupils.

She glanced at Jackie. "Put one against each of his armpits and one on his groin."

"Huh?" Jackie shook her head. "Oh, no. I can't…"

"Jacqueline Burkhart. You'll do as I say."

Jackie groaned. "Fine," she yielded and quickly did as Kitty said, placing two bags beneath his arms and cringing when Hyde frowned at the frozen carrots being placed on his boxers.

"Inside, Jackie."

"Oh no. It's too cold, Mrs. Forman. And Steven doesn't like food near his…" Upon the older woman's sharp look, Jackie raised her hands in defeat and, again, did as she was told. "I am so sorry, Steven," she whispered and slipped the large bag inside his underwear. To her surprise, though, he didn't yell. He only grimaced and haphazardly tried to pull it out, his eyes still closed.

"No. No," Kitty stopped him, pushing his hands to his chest. "Jackie, keep his hands away."

Surrendering complete control to Mrs. Foreman, Jackie simply slid her hands up the sheets and lowered herself down beside him, pressing his arms to his chest for him as the older woman minded her watch. All that was left to do was study his features while her heart conceded to him. Fighting it anymore was futile. She cared so much about him. Always had. Even when he was kissing his wife in front of her. Even when he was playing his cruel games. She'd cared.

Gently, Jackie squeezed his wrists and crossed them as she leaned forward to give him a light kiss on his lips. "I'm here, baby."

"And may I ask _why_ you're here, young lady," Kitty asked her softly, never taking her eyes off the timepiece in her palm. "I see you two didn't take my advice."

"No, I guess we didn't, Mrs. Forman."

Kitty raised her eyebrows, unwilling to let either of them off the hook so easily. "Do Jessica and that nice young man you're dating know what you two have been up to?"

"No," Jackie answered quietly and in shame the moment Kitty reached between them to draw the thermometer from his mouth.

Jackie looked up in time to witness Kitty's face fall. "Jackie. Help me get him up."

"What's wrong?"

"We need to get him in the tub." Within seconds, the older woman had his blankets cleared and was at his side, ready to push. "Steven, honey. Wake up. You're a big boy and we can't lift you."

"Mrs. Forman, what's wrong," Jackie repeated more forcefully, sitting up. "What did it say? What's his temperature?"

"104.3."

"Oh my God." Quickly, the two small women pushed him into a sitting position.

Immediately, Hyde opened his eyes as Kitty leaned down. "Steven. I need you to walk to the bathroom on your own, okay?" He nodded and raised his arms to put them over the two girls' shoulders, causing the frozen bags of green beans to fall to his side.

His face scrunched in confusion. "What the hell are you two doin' to me?"

"Never mind that," Kitty answered and took Hyde's left arm as Jackie took his right. Both women forced him to his feet. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. What are you…" Hyde stood and squeezed his eyes shut tight, dropping back onto the bed and hugging his head in pain. "Fuck!"

As concern hit her, Jackie squatted between his knees and looked up. "Mrs. Forman…"

"What hurts, Steven?" the older woman asked.

"My ears."

Kitty nodded at the small brunette who sat at his feet. "I'll bet he has a deep infection in both ears. That'll just wipe even the strongest boy right out. Poor baby came over last week soaked from the rain." Kissing his head, Kitty smiled. "And it would explain the fever."

"Oh, and he got into a fight in the rain," Jackie added. "And the jerk punched him in the ear, too."

Kitty frowned. "Oh my." Jackie nodded, leading Kitty to hug Hyde's head as she rocked him slowly. "Well that's probably what did it. Oh…My poor, sick little guy."

Jackie smiled. "Well so he's gonna be okay then? Shouldn't we take him to the hospital, though?"

Opening his eyes again, Hyde scowled deeply. "No. No. No. No hospitals. I'm fine."

"Well, no," Kitty argued. "You're not fine, Steven. We need to get this fever down." Grabbing Hyde's arm, she glanced up at Jackie. "I'll just call Dr Tompkins and get him to fill Steven a few prescriptions. He owes me." She shifted her attention back down to Hyde. "Now come on, Steven. Stand up, more slowly this time."

"I don't need to stand up," Hyde groused angrily, locking his arms and hunkering down. "I'll be fine if you two would just leave me alone and let me lay down."

Kitty shook her head and maintained her motherly tone. "No, sir. We will not leave you alone. We need to get you into a cool bath. Now stand up and stop being so stubborn."

"No baths," he refused.

"See!" Jackie tossed up her hand. "He has _always_ been this stubborn, Mrs. Forman. It's why we were always breaking up."

"Oh, I know he is," Kitty agreed. "He's just like Red. Stubborn as a mule. Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn…"

"Really stubborn…"

"God damn it. Fine!" Hyde barked. "I'll stand up if you two stop saying 'stubborn."

The two women shared a secret smile as they helped Hyde slowly get back to his feet. Once there, Jackie took his hand and walked him toward bathroom while Kitty ran on ahead to draw his bath water.

"I don't take baths," Hyde grumbled to Jackie.

"Well you do today, Steven. So keep walking."

With each step his head began to pound more. His ears, especially his left, felt like someone was piercing through to his brain with an ice pick. But inside of his hand was Jackie's, pulling him to keep going. All that was left to do was close his eyes and follow. And when they reached his bathroom, he heard the water running and looked up. "Mrs. Forman, can Jackie…"

"I'm leaving," she smiled. "I don't expect you wanna take a bath in front of your mother." Hyde smiled weakly as she kissed his cheek and directed him to sit on the toilet before heading for the door. "I'm going to call the doctor and go pick up some antibiotics and pain medication. Jackie will take care of you." She turned around and looked at Jackie. "Ok, and Jackie. Don't let any water get in his ears. Also, he's lucid right now but keep in mind that if that fever doesn't come down soon, he could go into convulsions. So be careful while he's in the tub. No leaving him alone."

"Oh, I won't, Mrs. Forman." Jackie kneeled down to feel the tub water, taking keen notice of the pain that worried Hyde's face. "Hurry, though..."

* * *

…Several Minutes Later…

"Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait," Hyde straightened his back and stiffened his arms as Jackie tried to push his body forward. "No! It's too freakin' cold, Jackie!"

"Steven! Get in, right now!"

"I took the aspirin. It'll go down!"

"It's not that cold," she argued back. "It's room temperature."

"Uh uh! Screw you! That's not room temperature!"

Jackie let go of him and stepped back. "Well that's how Mrs. Forman wanted it!" She sighed. "Steven. Look. It won't be that bad. I promise."

"Really?" Hyde folded his arms from his seat, still clad in his boxer shorts. "Then you get in."

Jackie raised her eyebrows. "Fine," she said, the inflection in her voice rising, and began to undo the button on her pants.

Hyde's face fell. He hadn't expected her to say that. "Wait. What are you doing?"

"Well I can't get into the tub with jeans on." Jackie slid her pants down her legs and stepped out of them, watching Hyde as she did. He still looked so sick. And his cheeks were still so beet red. But he looked stunned at the same time. Like he was waiting for her to abandon the joke at any moment. Instead, she simply walked over to the door and locked it shut. His eyes followed.

Upon her return to the tub, Jackie removed the t-shirt she was wearing and, donning only her panties, stepped into the tub, hiding her gasp. The water was just below tepid, but felt chilly on her exposed skin.

Quickly, though, Jackie faked a smile. "See. It's fine." Watching him watch her, she slowly lowered herself down, feigning comfort for his benefit. But as the cold waterline rose up her body, she began to visibly shake. "Come on, Steven. It's nice and warm."

From his seat, Hyde watched her tiny body shiver for him. The water around her trembled. And he closed his eyes. "God damn it." She was forcing him in with kindness. And he knew that his body was on fire and probably the only thing that could warm her in that bitter water. So, Hyde stood, grumbling as he stepped into his tub. "Crap, Jackie; it's cold," he complained and kneeled down between her knees, gritting his teeth through the cold sting.

With a pout, Jackie reached out to him. "Come here, Steven. Sit with me," she stammered, the cold water causing tremors throughout her torso and making her teeth chatter while her lips turned a bubble gum shade of blue.

Jackie leaned back against the tub as Hyde quickly brought his body down over hers and rested his head against her bare breasts.

"Oh…" Relieved from the intense heat of his skin, Jackie shut her eyes and sighed. "My God, Steven, you're so warm." She wrapped her legs around him and hugged him tight, beginning to rock him the same way she saw Mrs. Forman doing only minutes before. Neither knew much about comforting the ill, and neither had been much comforted _while_ ill, but this seemed about right. "You're so warm," she whispered.

Hyde closed his eyes and let her rock his body back and forth. The pain in his ears was becoming intolerable, the water he was in was freezing and he felt like he was dying but she was right there, freezing with him. Dying with him. Or _for_ him. He couldn't tell which. But it was pretty cool. She cared about him. A lot. That much he knew.

"Well this sucks," he grumbled, making Jackie laugh, which, in turn, made him laugh, too. "Ow. Ow. Ow…"

* * *

…One hour later…

His head sideways on a pillow, Hyde squished his face up as a cold drop trickled down into the deepest crevices of his ear. "I don't like it, Mrs. Forman."

"Well no one cares if you like it, Steven. It's happening every four hours either way." Kitty twisted the cap back on the small bottle and handed it to Jackie, who sat on the couch at Hyde's feet. "That one every four hours in both ears. The antibiotic every eight. And the Percocet every six for the pain."

Jackie nodded. "I got it."

Kitty grabbed her purse and kissed Hyde's head. "Now, I have to go. But I'll be back later with some of my special chicken soup for sick boys." She smiled giddily and headed for the door. "Oh, and Jackie…"

"Huh?"

"Can I talk to you a minute outside?"

"Yeah, sure." The two women stepped out into the hall and shut the door. "What is it, Mrs. Forman?" Jackie asked, half positive she knew the answer.

Kitty smiled. "You're a good girl, Jackie. And I know you've always loved Steven. And I was really disappointed when you two broke up. He loved you. He just…Well, he's Steven and he doesn't know how to express those types of feelings. But he has done so well with Jessica. He was a mess before her. And…"

Jackie's shoulders fell. "Mrs. Forman…"

"Just let me finish, Jackie." Kitty grabbed the brunette's shoulders gingerly. "But I know he still loves you. Maybe even more than he loves her." She smiled. "A mother just knows these things. But if you're not serious about this, about him, Jackie, then you need to go home and let Jessica take care of him. She really does love him." The older woman let go and stepped back. "Now what did you want to say?"

Stunned by Kitty's words, Jackie face contorted as tears filled and stung her tired eyes. She shrugged. "I don't know what to do." Shaking her head, Jackie looked down as she explained. "I love Colin. So much. We have something so wonderful. But…Sometimes I think that I love Steven so much I'm gonna explode. But what he did to me, Mrs. Forman…"

Kitty nodded. "I know what he did, Jackie. We all do. But the question is: Can you forgive him for it and let it go? Because if you can't then it's never going to work. And that's not fair to either one of you."

"I know," Jackie whispered, wiping her eyes. "You're right." She took in a deep breath. For some reason, this woman felt like her mother. She was kind, and caring, and she knew them all so well. "He asked me to leave Colin."

"I know. Eric told me."

"So what do I do?" Jackie asked in desperation, knowing all too well that the clock was ticking. "I mean…Mrs. Forman…I think I want them both."

"Well you can't have them both, sweetie. It doesn't work that way."

"I know," Jackie pouted.

Cupping the younger girl's face, Kitty offered a sad smile. "Take care of him. I'll be back later." She kissed Jackie's forehead. "It's going to be ok, Jackie. The answer will come to you…in time."

Jackie watched her walk down the steps and out of view. "But we don't have time..."

* * *

…Seven Hours Later…

Their last day was finally coming to a close and the only light remaining came from a flickering television screen. It was six o'clock and his girlfriend would be home in little more than twenty-four hours. And Jackie knew that she had to make a decision soon. It was hard to look at his sleeping form, though, and imagine giving him back to her. He was hers now. His lips were her own. And his arms. Hers. And she hoped…maybe…his heart, too.

Jackie broke her stare briefly to sigh. She was doing it again. Dreaming. She knew better than that. Steven Hyde belonged to no one. Not even Jessica. He was a storm. Just like the one that raged outside. Unpredictable and furious in the way he moved. And always leaving devastation in his wake. To tame him would be impossible for a mere mortal, even one as beautiful as she. And it was why Jackie knew she was going to have to tell him no.

Her vision blurred with tears. And a lump formed in her throat. As much as it would hurt, it would still be easier to miss him, to concede him to Jessica, than to love him again in the way she once did. To have to wonder again, every day, if he loved her, too.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, causing Jackie to finally look away from Hyde and take in a deep breath. She got up and checked the peephole. It was Mrs. Forman with her special chicken soup.

Jackie opened the door and Kitty rushed in, a small crock pot in her mitten-clad hands.

"How's he doing? Have you been checking his temperature?"

"Yes, Mrs. Forman. He's fine," Jackie informed Kitty, following as the woman shuffled into the kitchen and set down Hyde's soup. "He slept all day, except for when I gave him his medicine."

"Have you been giving him water?"

"Yeah. I mean, I tried. But he would only drink orange soda and only when I gave him those pills. He's being really difficult."

"Well just keep trying. And here's his soup." Kitty turned to face the younger girl. "And now I have to go. Red and I have our couples bridge match tonight. And that hussy from down the street, Janice Myers, tried telling all the other girls that the reason I wasn't there _last_ week was because it was my turn to bring the pie and that my pie had probably gone flat. Well, Kitty Forman does not have a flat pie! I had to work overtime that night. But," Kitty smiled wide and nodded. "Little do they know that _this week_, I have a pie that is gonna knock their socks off!"

"Huh?" Distracted, Jackie winced at the expectant look on Kitty's face. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Forman. It's just that I don't really care about old people stuff."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Oh, never mind. Just make sure Steven eats. He needs his strength. And don't forget what we talked about."

"I won't." Jackie watched the older woman head for the door. "Thanks, Mrs. Forman." The door shut and the brunette simply stood in the middle of Hyde's darkened living room. The tips of her fingers pinched at the sweatshirt she was wearing. It was his. And it was no wonder she felt like he was all over her. It smelled of him. As did everything else in this place. As did everything in her life right now.

Jackie sighed and sashayed toward him. "Steven," she pouted, taking a seat at is side. "What are we gonna do?" Hyde opened his eyes, making hers widen. "You're awake." He didn't answer, instead only placing his hands on her hips. "It's time for your eardrops, you know."

Hyde sneered at the mention. "C'mere." He pulled on her just a little, enough to drive her momentum downward toward him. And like he wanted, she squished in beside him as he covered her with his blanket. He slipped his leg in between hers and brought his hands to her face. He also felt high, dazed from his Percocet, but coherent enough to want to kiss her.

Hyde pressed his lips to hers and closed his eyes, sensing that there wasn't much time left. Eric's advice was coming back to him. "Jackie…"

Jackie opened her eyes. "Huh."

"I'm gonna need you to answer me soon." Hyde looked down. "And…either way, you're gonna have to get outta here first thing in the morning. I don't know what time she's coming home and…she's gonna come straight here to see me." It sounded harsh, maybe. He wasn't sure. But he hoped she understood. If her answer was no, then he was staying with Jessica. And if she said yes, then he was going to need time to break it off with the blond. The reality was that both prospects sucked in their own right. Wanting Jackie hadn't made him want Jessica any less. It had only made him willing to deny himself of her, and _only_ if it meant getting Jackie back.

"You want me to leave in the morning?"

"No," he snapped, finally feeling the pinch of time. "I want you to say yes in the morning, Jackie. And then…I want you to go home and figure out how the hell you're gonna break up with Colin…_without_ touching him."

"Well I don't know if I can do that, Steven."

"What," he mumbled quietly, looking like a confused puppy.

"No, I mean…break up with him." Jackie sat up a little and burned a serious gaze into his eyes. "How do I know you're not flip out on me again? Huh? Steven? Or come home with some skank again. Or cheat on me."

Frustrated, Hyde looked away. He could say that he wouldn't. That he was different now. But he wasn't. Not in her mind. Not that she would believe anyway. Especially considering what he was doing to his current girlfriend. "I guess you don't know," he responded, returning his eyes to hers. "I'm…Jackie, it's never gonna happen again. Okay? I…I promise."

Because of the look on his face, Jackie smiled weakly. He was being so sweet. Trying so much harder than he ever had. And she wished she could believe him. But what he said… it sounded all too familiar. And those blue eyes, she realized, that she wanted so badly to trust had glared at her with hate way too many times. They had laughed at her until she ran home and cried on more than one occasion and cruelly watched her as he let another woman have him right in front of her. What was behind them had changed, but the memories, and the pain that came along with them, just didn't want to go away.

Her decision made, Jackie's smile turned up in strength and she tried to remember the sweet parts of him, without crying. Not to keep her there, nor to change her mind, but simply to keep this new memory that they were making whole. Jackie leaned forward and kissed him, carrying with it a million reminiscences. In between them tonight was the moment she realized he had punched another man in her honor, and the first time the word 'girlfriend' had slipped from of his mouth, and the snowy Christmas Eve that she had danced for him. He was a good boyfriend. He really had done all things a boyfriend should do. She knew that now.

"I'll decide in the morning," she whispered, lying through her teeth. She already knew. And she felt like crying when he smiled, hopeful as he returned her kiss.

"Okay."

* * *

Jackie woke up thirty minutes later with Hyde still wrapped inside her arms and legs. She frowned, not remembering falling asleep. Sitting up, she looked around. The channel was still on MTV but no music played. So the house was quiet. Ominously so. 

She looked down. "Steven."

"Huh," he grumbled, fully dosed up on his pain pills and barely registering her voice now.

"Your eardrops."

"Uh."

"And you didn't eat." Jackie sat all the way up. "Oh my God, the soup."

"Hmm."

"I'm gonna get your soup, baby." Jackie left him where he lay and went into the kitchen, turning on the lights. Lifting the lid to the crock pot, Jackie closed her eyes and took a whiff. She hadn't eaten all day and was starving. And it smelled delicious. After searching through his drawers and cabinets, she found a ladle and two big man-sized bowls and began to fill them with soup. "Oh, Steven…You are gonna love…" Jackie looked up, stunned at her own choice of words…

* * *

"_Do you love me?"_

_Stunned by the ease at which she had shoved him out of his skin, Hyde mulled over the childlike sincerity that flashed in her eyes. She was serious. But, of course, he didn't want to answer. Not with these unforgiving gazes trained on them, ready to scrutinize every breath that left his body from here on out. They had no clue. No idea of the things he felt. He felt almost delusional, though, and he wasn't even sure yet if those feelings were real or only manifested from within the high of the last couple of weeks, fielded from the pain of the first few years without her. But it was there in his mind nonetheless; hidden behind thick, thick walls of resentment and time, but slowly being uncovered by the kinds of looks that she was giving him now._

_Something about her eyes just felt warmer to him, and familiar. She was youth and comfort, embodied and rolled into everything he hated. And everything he loved at the same time. _

"_Steven?"_

_Hyde glanced at his gripped audience, then back at her eyes, which were growing withered by the second. He wished she had saved it for another time, for another place. Why couldn't she have been patient? Why couldn't she have understood that about him? It was just like her to leave him no choice. _

_Dismayed, Hyde leaned down through her dark hair and paused, before whispering in her ear. "Yeah… I guess I do…"_

* * *

Her mouth agape, Jackie finally heard those words echo in her head as an official memory. _I guess I do._ Without thinking, she grabbed a fork instead of a spoon and shut the kitchen drawer. Her vision was out of focus. But she couldn't be bothered with it now. His words kept repeating on a loop. _I do. I do_. It had been whispered in her ear, he loved her, and she remembered starting to cry. She remembered the feeling. 

Jackie shut her eyes and inhaled deeply. She remembered the kiss. And now she even remembered what she had said back…

…At The Same Time…

She was a day early. And the smile on her face was so strained from happiness that the muscles in her cheeks were beginning to feel the bittersweet pinch. Jessica's smile grew even more as she looked past the rain and up at Hyde's building, two suitcases in hand while, behind her, a co-worker pulled away.

She was finally home.

And she had missed him so much.

Trying her best to move speedily in heeled boots, she made a run for it through the fall tempest, nearly laughing at her own irrational excitement. She hadn't kissed his sweet lips in over two weeks, or felt his strong arms press her bare body to his in what felt like an eternity, and, God loved her today, it was storming out. Perfect weather to spend a lazy day in bed, worshipping the body of the man you love.

He was going to be so happy, so surprised, to see her, too. That thought had the muscles in her hands so knotted that they were squeezing into fists as she reached the building door and then ascended his stairwell as fast as she could. The last time she had gone away with her father, he had jumped her upon stepping in the door. He had missed her so much, he said, and spent the whole weekend kissing her, saying all the things she'd hoped he would, minus one.

That didn't matter, though, because, just like this time, she had missed everything there was to miss about him. The whispers he made under the covers. The way he scowled when he changed the channels on the television. Those were the things that mattered today.

Her heart leaping with exhilaration, Jessica managed the last step and dropped her bags to scour through her purse for keys. "Damn it." The feeling of metal finally in hand was like the moment before stepping onto a rollercoaster. It was coming. It was rising in her chest and she just couldn't stand it anymore.

Unlocking the door, Jessica smiled and turned the knob. "Baby?! I'm home!"

And what had been rising through her body all day sunk faster than even her smile. Walking out of his kitchen was her heart's only insecurity, dressed in her boyfriend's favorite hooded sweatshirt and carrying a bowl of what looked like steaming soup.

Disheartened and confused, Jessica took in a shuddered breath. "Jackie?"

The brunette's face fell.

"Oh my God."

_To Be Cont._

* * *

**A/N 2: **Hehe. Alrighty. That concluded Act II and now as we move on to Act III, I just wanted to warn you guys that things are gonna get a little angsty at times and that, although I have not yet decided on an ending, to please just stick with me. Oh, and please review. I'm starting to wonder if I lost you all in my absence. 


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Love Is A Battlefield**

**A/N: **Thank you to those of you who reviewed. I hear your pleas and, I promise, no matter what, I will do Jackie and Hyde justice – always. They're my main squeeze, man. ;) Anyway, this is a big time transitional chapter. It's the first of the final act, so it's a lot of setup.You need all this information. But just remember! This is part of a larger story. Now, in the meantime, some of this is going to hurt, a lot, but not so bad if you're of the strong-hearted and believe in Jackie and Hyde. So keep with me and PLEASE do not hunt me down and poke stakes in my heart. Thank you. Now enjoy…

**Music:**

I Ran – A Flock Of Seagulls

Storms – Fleetwood Mac (xxxxx)

Love Is A Battlefield – Pat Benatar

**For Kayjay.** Thanks for going down with me, girl. ;)

* * *

Well if you wanna love me  
Then, darling, don't refrain  
Or I'll just end up walking  
In the cold November rain

* * *

**Thursday**

**November 15, 1984**

Her eyes told her story, far behind a deep set brown that even now held not a single ounce of malice. They were warm and, underneath, still so kind. And, therefore, almost unbearable to look at on this rainy fall evening. The pain and confusion that sat inside them reflected like light off a mirror, low and sharp to her gut, kicking off the stunned blonde's gaze like the sun over a vast ocean.

It was blinding.

Jackie's jaw was tingled painfully. "It's not…" she stammered, turning her eyes to the sleeping man that connected her forever to this girl, but stopped, suddenly feeling like she had no right. "I'm just…"

His current girlfriend did look at him, however, briefly soaking in his sleeping form before returning her sights to his ex-girlfriend with the glow of renewed anger. Her lips pursed. Eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here, Jackie?"

At the brunette's silence, Jessica exhaled and squeezed her eyes shut, the worst thoughts imaginable attacking her mind. People had argued with her, told her she was crazy, but she had always known that this girl was going to be her biggest adversary.

Standing across the room, and avoiding panic to the best of her capabilities, Jackie took in a sharp breath and furrowed her brow thoughtfully. Hyde would hate her; HATE her, if she didn't fix this.

"He's sick," she uttered, causing Jessica to open her eyes and forcing contact once again. That face, the blonde's, triggered something, made Jackie recall the days before the whole world turned on its side. The world that Jessica still naively labored in. Still, she told herself. They weren't caught yet. "Hyde," Jackie continued. "He's sick." Looking down at his soup with a renewed vigor, Jackie cheered herself on. She could do this. "And…"

Jessica's eye widened slightly, her attention dangling from Jackie's next word.

"Mrs. Forman sent me over here to bring him her Sick Boy soup and make sure he took his pills. She… God, you know I wasn't even listening," Jackie confessed, laughing casually as she walked closer to the coffee table that sat in front of Hyde and set down the soup. She stood up and raised her hands. "I guess she and Mr. Forman had some pie show they had to go to."

"A pie show?" Jessica asked guardedly. But, promisingly, her eyes now glistened with a slightly softer shade of suspicious. She took a step forward. "So…Mrs. Forman sent you?"

Jackie smiled. "Yep. She wanted to show off her pie or…" she flipped her eyes up toward the ceiling and sighed sweetly. "God, I really wasn't listening to her. You know how she just rambles on when she's been drinking." A strategic laugh, a shoulder lift and the kind of smile that Jackie knew to be contagious—It was her most beautiful one—caused the blonde to smile, too. "But she gave me soup, and I'm supposed to put these drops in his ears. But…You're here, so…"

"Okaaaay…" Jessica droned musingly, stepping a little closer as her expression soured a bit. "But why are you wearing his sweatshirt?"

"Oh…" Jackie looked down at the blue fleece. "Because of the rain," she responded quickly, unaffected by the inquisition. It seemed anyway. She could have been an Oscar-winning actress had the tides been in her favor. And she tried to remember that as she looked up and swallowed. Remembering. She could do this. She had to. Because if she took this girl away from him, without offering herself in exchange, he would never forgive her.

Ever, this time.

Perfecting character, Jackie scoffed and made a snotty face. "Well you wouldn't believe the jerks out there," she said, stepping tactically away from Hyde. "I got out of my car in the parking lot and this fat girl in a green Pinto drove right past me over a puddle and sprayed me." With difficulty, Jackie swallowed. Jessica was just watching her. Still listening. But it was hard to tell if she was buying it. "It's really cold in here so I…" Her expression turned sheepish. "Do you think he'll get mad? It's so cheap; I didn't think he'd mind."

Jessica's eyebrows creased musingly as she watched Jackie. "No." She finally turned away, unknowingly conceding a victory to the enemy. "No, he won't care." Taking a seat on a sofa chair, Jackie watched the younger girl sit down beside Hyde and touch his cheek, eliciting the first of many pangs of jealousy to come. But she couldn't say a word. All she could do was swallow it down and watch. And she also had to figure out a way to get her clothes off of his bedroom floor and her grooming products from his bathroom counter.

Jessica looked up. "So…What's the matter with him anyway?"

"Oh. He has infections in both ears."

"Really?"

"Well that's what Mrs. Forman thinks. He didn't go to a doctor or anything. At least, I don't think," Jackie covered with. "But…He had a 104 fever."

"Oh my God." Instinctively, the blonde touched his forehead and cheeks and made his earlobe slide between her fingers. "God, that's so weird. I wonder how he got sick. He's never sick."

Jackie shook her head. "_I've_ never seen him sick."

"Steven?" Jessica called quietly, leaning down as she took in the sight of him. The love in her eyes, what might have been admired by any other, only made Jackie's jaw clench. "Baby, wake up. I'm home." As the girl leaned down further, through her loose curls, Jackie could see her lips connect with his, and she felt her heart breaking. It was ripping in half while visions of Sam kissing him slid forward and replaced the sight before her. His eyes were closed, but within moments, his lips were moving gently and Jackie squeezed her eyes shut. When she reopened them, she wanted to scream. He was kissing Jessica back. Little pecks. And his hand rose to meet her cheek. But his eyes remained closed.

Jackie's whole body began to shake and she closed her eyes. And like a lioness on a fleeing gazelle, she jumped the horrified blonde, pushing her to the floor below Hyde. "He's mine!" she screamed, wrapping all ten of her fingers around the girl's thin neck and slamming her head over and over into the plush carpeting. "I have been putting up with his crap for ten years! You don't get to just come in here and get him when he's finally decent enough to take somewhere!!"

Opening her eyes, Jackie snapped out of her fantasy and looked over at Jessica, who still sat kissing Hyde. _Open your stupid eyes_, she inwardly pleaded with him. He couldn't know what he was doing. He just couldn't.

"I love you," she heard Jessica whisper against his mouth.

"I love you, too."

Jackie's eyes widened as Jessica broke their kiss and sat up. "Holy shit." She looked at Jackie. "Did he just…Oh my God!" She leaned down again, smiling wide. "Steven. Oh my God." Covering her mouth, Jessica stood up and began to pace excitedly. The smile on her face was as bright as the sun and all Jackie could do was give her a strange look. She had no idea why the girl was behaving this way.

Jessica dropped her hand and beamed at Jackie. "He just…He just said 'I love you."

Jackie furrowed her brow. "Yeah…"

"Well he's never said that before. I've never even heard him say those words. Ever. Well, there was this one time he said he loved watching Kelso get," Frowning, Jessica pushed her palm forward, "smacked in the face but…" She squealed and jumped a little where she stood. "This is so much better!"

Jackie looked down at Hyde, who still appeared to be sleeping. "Huh. So… He's _never_ said that before?"

"Well," Jessica's face flattened. She had forgotten for a moment, just who she was telling all this to. "No." She raised her eyebrows, almost daring Jackie to brag. "Why?"

"Oh no, no. I'm just saying," Jackie forced a smile, "that that's… wonderful. Really." Her own smile fell away. "I just feel like I'm intruding." But inside, she was jumping up and down, squealing and clapping like a child. She'd just always just figured that he had. That he'd given Jessica all the 'I love you's that she'd been denied. But he hadn't. And Jackie was now having to swallow down a grin, suspecting that this last one was hers as well. Jessica was nice and all. But this skirmish had just silently escalated into a war for his precious words. And Jackie, so far, was winning.

Jessica smiled. "No, you're fine." Because on the outside, it was she who couldn't wipe the smile from her face as she sat back down and kissed Hyde softy on the lips. "God, I missed you."

"Um…" Jackie stood up. "I have to go to the bathroom." In her blind voyage toward the small room, she tried to think, to plan her clothes' escape from the foot of Hyde's bed. The place they had landed the night before, flung carelessly from his hungry hands. Before closing the door, though, she took a mental map of the apartment's layout. She could see both spots from this position, meaning that Jessica could see her, too. To the left, the blond was still on the couch, covering him with the blanket while, to her right, the evidence sat damningly on the carpet. "Crap." Jackie shut the door and leaned back against it.

Her plan was to come out quickly, hoping that Jessica had moved to somewhere other than the bedroom. If anything was going to happen, she didn't want to be here for it. Other than that, her only hope was to wake Hyde and let him handle it.

Hearing movement close in, Jackie flew out of the bathroom to see Jessica coming toward her. "You know what! I have _got_ to go," she said, turning Jessica around and walking her back into the living room. "I should show you how to put those drops in. There's a special way Mrs. Forman taught me. Yeah, and if it's not done this one way…he could die."

Jessica made a face as Jackie pushed her forward. "Wait," she hesitated, grabbing Jackie's hand. "There's something I wanna ask you."

Jackie's eyes widened. "What, who me?"

"Yeah," Jessica nodded, cringing. "And it's kinda personal. About…you and Steven. Your relationship."

Jackie's mouth opened, but she paused, frowning quickly. "You know… I _really_ have to go. There's this _big_ shoe sale at Loehmann's and I like to get there early to watch the fat girls fight over the extra wides." Swiftly, Jackie spun around to leave.

"Please," Jessica pleaded, stepping forward.

Sighing, Jackie squeezed her eyes shit and turned back around to face the waiting blonde. "What could you possibly wanna talk about? That was so long ago."

"I know." Jessica glanced at Hyde and then back at Jackie. "Just…" She reached out and grabbed Jackie's hand again, briskly pulling her toward the sliding glass door that led to his balcony. "C'mere."

Jackie panicked and tugged, but Jessica had her good. Crap. Maybe she knew. Maybe she was going to push her over the ledge in her jealous rage. "Where are we going?"

"To talk out here," Jessica whispered furtively, opening the door and leading the brunette onto the small outdoor enclave. "He'd kill me if he heard me talking to you about this." She shut the door and pointed to a chair with a smile, taking her own seat. "Sit. It's not wet."

Stiffly and, oh so slowly, Jackie sat, never looking at Hyde's capricious girlfriend. She was behaving rather evenly for a girl who'd just found her man's ex in his house. And so, in her nervousness, Jackie could only stare straight ahead into the rainy darkness, nearly hallucinating in her terror. This was it. This would be the moment that her beauty and magnetism would finally catch up with her and bring her to the fruition of her life.

Beside her, Jessica sighed.

"It's like the whole world is flooding," she uttered quietly. "Has it been like this here all month?"

"Uh huh."

She sighed again and turned. "Look, Jackie. I know this is awkward but it's just always been something that bothered me." Jessica took a deep breath, refilling her lungs for the question she was terrified to raise, but too curious to stop herself from doing it. "I was just wondering why you and Steven broke up."

Stunned slightly by the forward question, Jackie looked over. "Who, me and Steven?"

"Yeah."

"Oh," Jackie puckered her chin. "Well that's easy. Because he was an inconsiderate, immature pig who couldn't commit."

At that, Jessica nodded and looked down a moment. "Well yeah, he's still kinda like that but… What I mean is… What's the big secret?" Her eyebrows rose and she smiled, nodding to prompt the wary brunette and suddenly feeling the rush of her candor.

Jackie tilted her head in confusion. "Secret?"

Jessica nodded, scooting closer. "Yeah. You can tell me. I won't tell anyone. I promise."

"Jessica, what are you talking about?"

"The secret. You know…" Jessica raised her hands. "The _thing_ I'm not supposed to know."

Jackie frowned. "There's a thing you're not supposed to know?"

At that, the blonde's eyes lit up. "There is?"

"I don't know. Is there?"

"I don't know," Jessica countered, narrowing her eyes in query. "Is there?"

Lips pursed, Jackie pointed at her. "Ok, we're getting nowhere here!"

Jessica sighed in frustration. "Fine. Well, every time your relationship is brought up around Steven, he makes these squinty eyes at whoever's talking and, one time, Kelso starting saying something about some guy named Sam and you and Chicago, and then Steven punched him in the arm."

"But Steven always punches Michael in the arm."

"Yeah, but so I asked Donna what was going on, and _she_ said that it was 'Hyde's business' to tell me. That it had to do with your break-up and that he would get pissed at her if she told me."

Jackie furrowed her brow at this. Secret? Hyde's business? Sam. It hit her. The secret. The thing that Jessica was not to know. Hyde's dirty little bleached-blonde skeleton. Feeling angry suddenly, Jackie narrowed her eyes. It figured. Jessica had no clue about anything at all. He probably blamed their break up all on her. Typical. "So what DO you know?"

Jessica shook her head and shrugged. "Just that you cheated on him with Kelso."

Surprised, Jackie's mouth fell into a wry smile. "Oh." She slapped both hands down on the arms of Jessica's chair. "Well then, WE have a LOT to talk about, don't we?" Her wicked smile grew. "Why don't you go get us a couple of beers? I'm sure Hyde has some."

The blonde appeared suspicious at first, but filled the expression to capacity with a trusting, and slightly excited, smile. "Okay." Quickly, but quietly, she ran through Hyde's house and scooped two beers from his fridge.

"Now you can _never_ tell him that I asked you about this," she warned, re-closing the slider and handing Jackie her beer. She rolled her eyes and sat. "It would turn into a whole big, stupid thing with him."

Jackie opened and took a sip of her beer. "Alright, well, basically…" She sighed. God. Where to start. "We had just broken up because I wanted certain things, _commitment_ things, and he was being his typical stupid self and just wanted things to stay the same. So, we broke up. But then we got back together and I got this job offer in Chicago…"

Taking a gulp of her own beer, Jessica shifted in her seat. This sounded familiar.

"…and I told him that I would stay with him in Point Place _only _if he just said that there was some sort of future for us. But, again, he couldn't. He just kept saying 'I don't know." Jackie scowled deeply. "I mean, 'I don't know!" She scoffed. "Men fall over themselves for a chance with me. But not him. It's like the poorness _rotted_ his brain or something. God! Anyway, I left and he didn't stop me. So I figured we were broken up. And Michael came to visit me a few times while I was there. Well, one night he kissed me. I mean, that's as far as I was gonna let it go, 'cause Michael's just a pig and I respected Brooke. But he thought that meant that we were gonna do it."

Jessica shook her head. "Men."

In agreement, Jackie grimaced and nodded. "Yeah. And so then, it was late and he decided to stay, so he took a shower and, _right _after, went to go get ice, and _that's_ when Steven showed up. He saw Michael in a towel and just took off."

"Did you ever find out why he came to Chicago?"

Jackie took a deep breath. "Jessica…"

"No, it's ok," Jessica just waved the concern off. "Like you said, it was… a long time ago. I can handle it."

"You sure?" Thinking it over one more time, Jessica gave a nod. She was sure. "Okay. Well… later I found out that he was going to propose and bring me home. That's what Michael told me anyway and Steven…Hyde sort of admitted it."

Jessica frowned curiously. "So then so you broke up because he _thought_ you had cheated on Kelso."

"Well… there's sort of more." Jackie frowned, trying to put the memories back into focus. "I ended up quitting my job and coming home to try and get him back. But nobody had seen him in weeks."

"Where was he?"

"In Las Vegas."

Jessica's jaw dropped practically to her knees. "So _that's_ when he was in Vegas." She shook her head. "You know, he told me he went there once. But I didn't ask why."

"Yeah, well, he went alright." Jackie rolled her eyes. "And he managed to leave his dumb ass there, too. He was just _really_ different when he came back. Mean. Well to me anyway." She shrugged off the bad feelings that came along with these recollections. This story was never an easy one to tell. But the girl who sat in front of her was gripped for some reason, silently prodding for her to continue. "Anyway, I finally told him, when he got back, that I hadn't slept with Michael, and everything seemed like it would be ok. But then the doorbell rang and… his wife was at the door."

Jessica blinked hard, a jolt shaking her head. "Wait. Whose wife?" she asked, thinking she had missed something.

"Steven's."

A stifled laugh escaped the blonde. "Whoa. No. No. Wait." But Jackie wasn't laughing. "But… But Steven's never been married."

Finally, Jackie laughed, too, sardonically. "Well you're half right." She bit back her bottom lip. "Anyway, in walked his slutty, _stripper_ wife."

Jessica's face fell. "His…" She closed her eyes. "What?" It was strange the moment one's stomach begins to rise. It's a maddening feeling, and Jessica had to fight it down. "A…" Scrunching her nose, she opened her eyes. "A stripper?" she repeated flatly, swallowing down her insides. "You're joking," she asserted.

Genuinely sorry, and a little shocked to be the one to break the news, Jackie shook her head, watching with curiosity the look on the blonde's blanching face. Was this what she had looked like that night? Ill-guised. Pale. Disillusioned. "Yeah. He was drunk. And, after years of telling me that he didn't know if he could even imagine marrying me, he married some skank he met at a strip club in Vegas." Shuddering through a bout of the chills, Jackie widened her eyes to express her point. "A _slut_."

"Wait. Let me just," Jessica covered her eyes and began to rub. "You're saying that Steven's been married? To a stripper?"

Flatly, Jackie nodded.

"Oh… God." Jessica stood up and took a few steps around the balcony. "Well, I mean… I guess I can see now why…why you wouldn't be able to forgive him. And why you guys broke up." She raised her hands into fists. "I can't believe he didn't…Wait," She looked up. "So what happened? He…She left. Right? The stripper. It was just a mistake." Jessica waited, standing on her feet with a million questions bouncing around her head and, it seemed, the brunette had just gone mute. "Jackie?!"

Jackie smiled gently and looked up. "No… No, he decided he'd rather be with her…than me. And… They played house while I…" Jackie could only shrug and searched how to avoid drawing any emotion from herself. This was not something she was supposed to care about five years later. But it was difficult. Falling for him so hard again and having to recall the things he had done to her. The ways in which he had abused her without mercy. But what helped more than anything in that quest was the fact that her current companion looked as if she were about to be sick, too. Jackie winced. "Are you ok?"

Swallowing roughly, Jessica nodded. "Yeah. So…How long were you together?" she asked, needing the reminder.

"Two years."

Jessica looked down at the wet concrete. "And… he told you that he loved you. Right?"

"You know what," Jackie stood up in a panic. "I really don't wanna talk about this." She couldn't was more like it. Not without giving herself away. "I should really…Go."

Jessica nodded. "Yeah, ok. Just…Just show me what to do with the drops."

Jackie smiled, relieved when this girl that she thought her enemy started to laugh. Jackie had to laugh, too. It broke the strange tension they were both feeling. Something had to. Or they would burst. "Come on."

------------

Inside, Jackie sat down next to Hyde, drops in hand while Jessica kneeled down next to his head. "Ok, now, from what Mrs. Forman told me, it's better to do it with him asleep. He's being a big baby about the whole thing."

"Yeah, he has this thing with water getting in his ear."

"Yeah, so, ok." Jackie unscrewed the cap and grabbed Hyde's earlobe. "All you gotta do is pull down on his earlobe so it's like this and then put three drops in." She did as she said and handed Jessica the small bottle. "And then take this little ear nub thing, push it in and move it around to get the stuff in there. And then let it sit for five minutes before you flip him over to do the other ear." Jackie smiled. "Hey, that worked. And he didn't even wake…"

Suddenly, Hyde opened his eyes. And Jackie's widened as he looked at her and smiled faintly. "Steven!"

"Hey."

"Well, you're probably wondering why_ I'm_ still here. But look!" She forced a huge smile and directed her hands at the girl beside her. "I-i-i-it's Jessica!"

Hyde looked over and his mouth fell open in shock at the sight of his girlfriend. "Baby."

Jessica smiled. "Hey." Hyde started to sit up but she stopped him. "No. No. Jackie just put drops in your ear. You gotta stay." Instead, she leaned down and went to him, pressing her lips to his. He was stunned, frozen, unsure of what to do. Jessica had closed her eyes but his were still open, immediately falling on Jackie and the heartrending look on her face. But she squeezed her eyes shut and looked away. And so he closed his own and waited for Jessica to stop placing little kisses on his lips. She backed up quickly and he looked at her for the first time in two weeks. She was beautiful and so happy to see him. 'I missed you,' she mouthed silently, her expression sincere.

'I missed you, too,' he mouthed as well, wondering what in the hell was going on. How the hell was she not screaming at him or hitting him? Crap. What had Jackie said?

Just then, he felt Jackie leave his side and stand. Her voice was dithering. "Well, the soup Mrs. Forman sent me here to bring him is in the kitchen, in a big pot, if he wants more." She nodded, scrambling to get out, trying to figure out how to tell him about the clothes and make-up. "Um, I borrowed your sweatshirt, Hyde," she said, backing up. "I'll get it back somehow."

"Jackie," he called.

She stopped. "Huh?"

Jessica looked down at him strangely, curious at the way he was staring at his ex, frantically watching her. "Thanks," was all he said, calming her expression.

"Yeah." Jackie widened her eyes. Jessica was looking down at him still and it was her only chance. 'My stuff!' she mouthed at him, gesturing toward the bedroom. "No problem. You know me. Always giving."

Jessica turned. "Oh, yeah. I'm being rude. Thank you." She smiled back down at Hyde. "Well, I'll be right back," she muttered, giving him a kiss before she stood and headed toward the bedroom. Behind her back, Jackie's heart paused. She even stopped breathing as she waited, her big eyes darting at Hyde, who was also frozen, watching his girlfriend walk away in what seemed like the longest journey in the history of time. But they were in luck tonight. And once the bathroom door shut, they both flew into a harried panic with Hyde waving his hands at his bedroom and Jackie making a run for it.

"Go! Go," he whispered frantically. "Hurry!"

Her feet were moving faster than her mind, but Jackie managed, grabbing every piece of her clothing and all the evidence of the last sinful week she could find, including the stuff from his private bathroom. A pile in hand, she left his room, praying, running quietly past the front bathroom and back into the living room.

She found her bag by the door, thanking God that she had brought her carry-all purse instead of her suitcase, and shoved everything inside.

Jackie turned around in a huff. "This is so wrong, Steven!"

Hyde cringed and tightened his fists at her. "I know. But what…" He heard the toilet flush and quickly returned to Jackie in a higher stage of panic. "Crap! What the hell are we doing?!"

"I…I don't know," Jackie admitted, shaking her head nervously and bouncing on her feet, her entire body rigid before turning its aggression at Hyde. "She wasn't supposed to come home 'til tomorrow you said!"

"That's what she told me!"

"God," Jackie looked around, shifting her feet in her frantic attempt to think. "Steven, I don't know what to do."

Hyde's dry lips puckered. "Jackie, we don't have time for this crap right now. What are we doing," he asked again more insistently, growing irritated with the cold liquid that was seeping out of his ear. He locked his gaze on her. This was it. This was the end of their journey. It was come or go from here. And it was all up to her.

Hyde's jaw clenched as the seconds passed. "Answer me. Now, Jackie. She's…" But they were too late. The bathroom door swung open and both went silent as Hyde dropped back into position on the couch and shut his eyes in frustration.

"Are you still going?" Jessica asked Jackie, looking at the full bag in her hands.

Jackie glanced down, having almost forgotten the way things were—that, at this moment, he was not hers. "Oh. Yeah. I was just telling Hyde about the… pinto girl." While faking a feeble laugh, Jackie tried frantically to will the ghastly coating of sweat from her brow line. This was the most uncomfortable she'd ever felt in her own porcelain skin. But she swallowed and smiled. "I'll, um, talk to you guys later."

To her surprise, Jessica gave her a genuine smile. "Well, be careful. It's really bad out there still."

"Oh. Yeah, I'll be fine. As long as I stay away from fat girls in green Pintos." After feigning one last pathetic chuckle, Jackie's smile fell away the moment Jessica turned her back and departed, destined for the kitchen. Jackie's eyes, though, found Hyde's in that small span of time. They were complete tonight, blue as a mid-summer sky, and full of so much history. And rich with a warmth that she wanted to immobilize forever. He would probably never love her more than he did right now. And choosing the road he wanted to take would only cool that warmth again, she supposed. How could they begin again from infidelity and disloyalty? They could never trust each other. So, in the end, after the excitement of Halloween night and up until the gentleness of this, Jackie remembered the rat and smiled sadly.

"Tell me," he mouthed in silence from his pillow, a heartening scowl coming over his face.

Jackie ran her fingers over her lips and smiled fondly as she kissed them, bringing that hand down to the doorknob. His eyes were fixated on her as he waited impatiently. "Bye, Hyde. Get better, okay?" She tried to ignore the way his face changed, though, the way it fell into resentment.

"Yeah," was all he could muster as she walked out the door. His throat was closing up on him. He should've known, though. Should've seen it coming. The girl was a tempest. Devastation in the flesh. And that's all there was to it.

"Hey, baby." He looked up as Jessica sat down at his side and gave a small chuckle. "When I got here and she was here, I thought…"

Taking a deep breath, and shifting mindsets, Hyde smiled. "You don't have anything to worry about, babe."

Starting to cry, Jessica lunged at his lips. "God, I missed you so much!" She kissed him hard, slipping her tongue inside his mouth.

"Wait a, wait, wait!" Hyde pushed her back. "You can't kiss me. I'm sick. I, I don't want you to get sick, too." He pointed. "I'm don't like sick people!"

Jessica glared at him. "Steven, I don't care if I get sick. Just kiss me."

"Yeah, but," For some reason, he had it in his head that Jackie would be back for him. Jessica had only startled her. But she would be back. He just needed more time. "I…My…My throat hurts. Just…C'mere." He pulled her down and hugged her hard, taking in the sweet scent of her hair while guilt overcame him. He cared about Jessica, wanted her, but right now he wanted Jackie so much more. She was his, and he figured that meant that he was hers, too. And he was going to be faithful. "So…How was your trip?"

"Awful." Jessica smiled and sat back. "How's Leo?"

"Surprisingly more coherent than ever," he smiled back.

She laughed. "Good… You want some soup?"

"Hell yeah. I'm starving." He frowned. "Can we just, you know, sit here, though, and watch TV together or something," he asked, trying to avoid the things they normally did together on a day like this. But he didn't want to hurt her. Anything not to hurt her. She had been good to him.

Jessica grinned and sighed at the thought. "Baby, that sounds like the best thing I've done in weeks…"

* * *

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Forty-Five Minutes Later…

Gingerly, Jackie stepped out of her car and shut the door. There was a spark about this moment. A finality. An overwhelming surge of energy that was bubbling out of her and into the stormy night. The damn feeling made her blood curdle, though, and her heart panic, even as it rose and left her body. It was anxiety, escaping. Leaving only a sadness that it seemed the whole universe could feel. But she smiled at its departure, thinking of him as she walked. She knew. She would miss him. But she would be alright.

One foot in front of the other, as his energy left her, each step brought with it more lethargy. But thankfully, a merciful fog was coming; settling down over her fatigued body and easing her gently back into the real world, guiding her from a dream. It had been a long seventeen days. Strained and wonderful. And he had been the same. And now, it was time to go home.

In no real hurry, Jackie pushed open her front door and dropped down her bag with a sigh. Home. Small and unassuming. But her first thoughts simply held a bed and closed eyes. It was time to sleep, time to finish the dream and wake up fresh. Tomorrow…

* * *

**Friday**

**November 16, 1984**

Jackie's Apartment

11:15 a.m.

Jackie paced her living room, occasionally stopping to glance at her phone. Why wasn't it ringing? Why wasn't he calling? It wasn't like _she_ could call _him_. Okay, maybe he was man, but she still figured he would at least want to know why she'd done what she'd done.

Sighing, she walked into her bathroom to check her hair. She was going wedding shopping with Brooke and Donna today. Maybe he would call while she was gone. Maybe…Jackie closed her mascara-lashed eyes, wrestling back tears. God, what were they doing together…

* * *

Hyde's Apartment

1:15 p.m.

It had been a harrowing eighteen hours and there was a war raging inside of him already. One of epic proportions. One that every man must fight within himself at some juncture in his life. Women. They were cruel. Using their softness to subdue. Using their fingernails to distract. And their lips to smooth the textured edges of a man's mind.

She had only walked up and smiled. But he had forgotten how beautiful she was. And how warm her brown eyes set against her hair. There was something gentle about her. Graceful. And there was an appreciation in the way she'd always looked at him. An understanding that no one else seemed to have. She didn't see him at all. Not the true him. She saw what she believed he could be. What he wished he could have been for her.

"Steven," Jessica uttered, tilting her head. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he mumbled, his eyes still trained on her. "I'm fine." He tracked her movement until she stopped in front of him. He was terrified of her now. She was so tempting. This was bad. And he was weak, never having lost any of the things he felt for her. She was still his girl after all. She had just gotten away from him for a little while.

"Well, my sick baby," she cooed and climbed onto his lap, straddling him loosely and setting her weight down on his groin. Like not a day had passed between them, she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips, making his body jolt back slightly as she left more on his jaw line. "I missed you so much," she whispered in his ear. God damn. Her hair smelled so good. His heart was racing. His eyes widening as she kissed his neck. There was something different about this. She was making him feel like a nervous teenager. He was suddenly terrified of getting a hard-on and worried that if she kissed him harder, he would do it wrong. He'd been kissing Jackie for two weeks straight and feared that Jessica would somehow taste her on his tongue.

Unaware of how to stop this, Hyde slowly began to slither and sink down on the couch until Jessica was nearly sitting on his stomach.

Her brow furrowed. "Steven." He lowered himself further, bringing more distance between his mouth and hers. "What are you doing?"

"Just relaxing."

"Steven. What…" Jessica threw her hands up, frustrated with his behavior since she'd been home. He was acting like she had the God damn bubonic plague. "Honey…" He lowered himself further and looked up at her from between her knees. "You know what. Forget it." She climbed off the couch and walked away. "Just forget it!"

Hyde turned sideways to lie down and closed his eyes. "Crap." He was acting like a fucking moron…

* * *

Dillards - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

4:32 p.m.

Standing all in a row, shoulder to shoulder, in the most sophisticated department store Milwaukee had to offer, Brooke and her bridesmaids, minus her cousin Karen, stared at what appeared to be an endless display of shoes.

Standing in the middle, Donna frowned. "Please tell me we have some sort of idea of what we're looking for."

Jackie nodded. "Of course. White heels."

"Oh." The redhead flashed a relieved smile at her friend. "Well that seems easy enough."

"Uh huh. Now all we have to decide is do we want open or closed-toe, slingbacks or closed-back, pumps or highs with a kitten, a low stiletto or a Sabrina heel? And… do we want a strappy vamp if we go for the slingbacks or do we omit the vamp, pump up the pump and go for a the mid-stiletto?"

"How about just ones that cover our feet."

Her jaw clenching, Jackie narrowed her eyes and stepped into Donna's face. "I oughta wash your fat mouth out with soap."

Brooke stepped in between them, nudging Jackie away. "Alright. Can we please have one pleasant shopping trip for this wedding?"

Glaring at Donna until the last second, Jackie turned. "Fine. Well… If this were a summer wedding, I'd say we should stick to the straps and slingbacks but this is November and we're not hillbillies, so…" She shifted her attention to a young female clerk. "Can I see these, these, these, these, these, these and these in a six and," She looked down at Donna's feet. "Jolly Green Giant and a half, please?" she completed with a satirical smile.

"Nine," Donna corrected flatly.

Jackie grinned, shooing the young employee away. "Thank you."

"You know," Donna turned to Jackie. "What is your problem today?"

Jackie looked at Donna and then at Brooke, who seemed to be waiting for some sort of answer, too. "What? I'm just serious about my footwear, okay?"

Slowly, Donna shook her head. "Oh my God."

"What?"

"You miss Hyde," the redhead realized out loud. "That's it, huh? That's why you've been snapping at us and insulting us all day."

"Oh, Donna, I would have done that anyway," Jackie snipped. "And okay, maybe I miss him a little bit." Donna raised her eyebrows at the blatant fib. "Ok, fine. A lot," Jackie finally confessed. "But it doesn't matter. We can't be together." The small brunette paused, waiting. She had given them their cue! "Well aren't you going to ask me why not?!"

"No," Brooke muttered.

Donna shook her head. "No. I think we all know why not, Jackie." She had expected the snarling look Jackie gave her, but all the same, it affected her. "Alright, look. You said it yourself. It was just a fling. It happened. It's over. Colin'll be home in a couple days and you'll forget all about Hyde."

Jackie's shoulders drooped. "Yeah. I guess." And following the momentum of her shoulders, her head and eyes fell, too. "I just hope he doesn't hate me for saying no."

As Brooke watched the catastrophe waiting to happen, Donna grabbed her friend's shoulders. "Jackie, he's a man. Of course he's gonna hate you. But, again, he's a man, and the second he gets horny, he'll forget all about it. I promise."

Looking up in horror, Jackie made a face. "Donna. What are you talking about?"

"You know. Sex. It's all about sex for them, and the second he wants some from Jessica, he's gonna…"

"Whoa!" Jackie screeched. "No. Back up! He… Wait. Sex?"

"Yeah," Donna replied emphatically. "Sex. That thing people do."

Jackie's lip pursed. "Watch it, Donna."

"What!"

"Steven's not gonna wanna have sex with her. He's sick!"

And that's where Brooke stepped in. "Uh, Jackie. He's gonna get better."

"No, but…" Jackie glanced between her two friends. "Oh my God." Her mouth fell into a pout. "He's gonna get better. And he's gonna wanna have sex, and she'll be there."

Donna held out her hands in the blatancy of it. "Well yeah, what did you think was gonna happen?"

"Well, I don't know," Jackie whined. "I haven't really thought about it. She just showed up. And…he wanted an answer and, oh my God, they probably already did it."

"No, they probably…Well," Brooke cringed painfully. She couldn't lie. "Maybe they did. But Jackie, she_ is_ his girlfriend. It's gonna happen eventually."

"But… they can't!"

"Jackie." Donna grabbed Jackie's shoulders, but the terrified affect on the brunette's face only grew as she stared into the possibilities of a Hyde/Jessica sex off. "Jackie!"

"I have to stop them," she muttered. "He can't have sex with her." Jackie looked up. "Donna he can't! Oh my God. What did I do? Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my…"

Just then, the clerk girl walked up with a few boxes of white, heeled size sixes and nines. "Alrighty. These are the two inch sabrinas…"

Jackie stood up. "They're perfect! We'll take three! Let's go!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Hyde's Apartment

Friday - 4:37 p.m.

_I never thought I'd meet a girl like you  
Meet a girl like you  
With auburn hair and tawny eyes  
The kind of eyes that hypnotize me through_

Having napped most of the day, Hyde entered the outer boundaries of consciousness to the sounds of 80's music, consisting of a horrible mishmash of synthesized beats and keyboard manufactured noise. He hated it. It drove him nuts. But he was used to this music. So much so that he knew the name of the song. He knew who sang it. He even knew some of the words. And for one simple reason.

_And I ran, I ran so far away  
I just ran, I ran all night and day  
I couldn't get away…_

The memories of the last twenty-four hours catching up with him, Hyde opened his eyes and let them wander the room in his search for her. He stopped, yawning himself awake when he saw her. He exhaled slowly. Blond hair sat in a high ponytail as her little body bounced to the music and sauntered into the living room with a pile of clothes. "Jess," he managed.

She walked over. "Hey! You're awake," she said, standing over him with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

Hyde shook his head and frowned. "Can you get me come more of the Percocet?"

"Yeah," she said, sweeping her index finger down the bridge of his nose. "Hey, why don't you go lay down in the bed. It's more comfortable. That way, I can lay with you."

Hyde swallowed through the incredible pain in his ears and took a good, hard look at the girl. She'd lain on the floor beneath him all night, between the couch and the coffee table, getting up for water and pills at his ogre-like commands. But Jackie, she had left him cold. "Yeah. I can do that." Her smile growing, Jessica started to walk away to get his pain medication. "Wait," Hyde grabbed her hand. "C'mere."

Making the conscious decision to just let himself show his gratitude with a kiss, just one, Hyde pulled her all the way down and pressed his lips to hers. "Thank you."

Jessica smiled against him and Hyde smiled, too. God. Hers was contagious. And he'd meant to stop; he did, but, instead, found himself kissing her again…

* * *

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Friday – 5:11 p.m.

"Drive faster, Brooke! What are you? Seventy-five? Move!"

"Jackie! I'm going sixty-five on a side street in the pouring rain. Calm down."

Donna leaned forward from the back seat. "Yeah, what are you gonna do anyway? Call him? Tell him 'Oh hey. I know I chose my boyfriend over you, but do you think you could turn monk for the rest of your life in my honor?"

"Well…Hey, do you think that'll work?"

"Jackie!" Donna scolded her. "You can't have it both ways. You can't have both Colin and Hyde."

"God! You sound just like Mrs. Forman!"

"Well she's right, Jackie," Brooke interjected. "And anyway, don't you think Jessica's gonna get a little suspicious that you're calling him?"

"That's why I'm gonna have _Michael _call him. She won't think anything of that. And then maybe I can get him to come up here. Just for a little bit. To say goodbye or something. You know, maybe that's my problem. Steven and I didn't get a proper goodbye."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure that's it…"

------------

It was still raining when Brooke pulled into her driveway and frowned. "Who is that?"

Both Jackie and Donna looked over, too, while out from the front door of the Kelso home walked an attractive young brunette woman, carrying a toddler. Immediately, Jackie's gut wrenched, but the other two simply got out, unaware. Quickly, though, knowing, Jackie followed and caught up with Brooke. "You know, I think I forgot my shimmer gloss at Dillards. We should go back."

But Brooke only continued to head up the walkway toward her front porch, frowning in curiosity. "Can I help you?" she asked when she reached the girl.

The stranger looked worried. "Um, no. I was just here to see Michael."

"Who are you?" Brooke asked her.

Donna flashed an uneasy glance at Jackie, who could only stare at the young boy, trying to find the claimed resemblance. The child had soft brown hair, but had no specific characteristics that would distinguish him as Kelso's. And his eyes were blue. Bright blue. While the mother's (and Kelso's) were brown.

"I think maybe you should ask him that," the woman responded coldly and began to walk away, making Brooke turn.

"I'm asking _you_."

But the mysterious woman only ignored her and continued to leave, and before Jackie and Donna could even blink, the bride-to-be was running up her front porch and into her house.

"Oh crap," Donna blurted as both girls followed quickly. "Jackie, what the hell's going on?"

"Michael! Michael!" Brooke yelled out for him, dashing around her house. It was so quiet inside, except for one place: the family room, where the TV softly spoke and Kelso sat staring despondently on the couch.

Brooke stopped, feeling like she could barely see through the adrenaline that coursed through the veins in her eyelids. "Michael."

But Kelso could only shake his head as he stared. "I'm sorry, baby. I…I thought I'd lost you." He looked up. "You kicked me out. And…I had a lot to drink." Forlornly lost from the breathing world, he returned his gaze to floor. "I could swear I used a condom…but…" He shut his eyes. "Brooke, please. Please don't leave me. I need you."

Brooke shut her eyes. They burned, stung from tears and she could feel the life inside her leaving, rising to escape her feeling body. "Get out," she muttered.

"Brooky," Kelso cautiously whispered and stood up, walking around to meet her. "Baby, I love you. Please," he begged, grabbing her hand and placing his lips to her palm. "It was a mistake I made a long time ago. Baby… Let's just go in our room and talk about it, okay?" Becoming desperate from her silence, he kissed her hand hard. "It didn't mean anything."

But she only frowned pensively at the ground behind him. "Get out."

"Brooke…"

Making the entire room recoil, Brooke wrenched her hand from his grasp. "GET OOOOOUUUUT!" Whipping around, she took off through the kitchen and down the hall.

Seemingly unaffected, Kelso moved, too, following his bride with rapt eyes until Jackie caught up and pressed a hand to his chest. "Michael, maybe you should leave."

"Yeah, Kelso," Donna agreed gently. "Eric's at our place. Just go there and wait."

"Brooke!" Kelso screamed angrily down the hall past the girls, unable to follow as she disappeared from view. "_BROOKE!"_

"Michael. Go," Jackie demanded.

Kelso narrowed his eyes in his fury, still staring down the empty hallway. "You kicked me out, Brooke! You told me you didn't want me! So I found someone who did!"

"Michael!" Jackie screamed at him, shoving him as hard as she could toward the door. "Just go!"

The whites of his eyes nearly gone, Kelso stopped and turned, fixing a loathing gaze full of fire on his ex-girlfriend. He pointed right at her. "This is all _your_ fault," he growled, making the small brunette freeze under his scrutiny. Jackie's breathing paused and her chest tightened at the pressure. It was the first time he had ever looked at her that way. But it was familiar, bitterly cold, and laced with a hatred that only Hyde had ever let her see.

BAM! His fist hit the door, and just as quickly, he turned and walked out the door, bringing breath back to Jackie lungs.

"God, Donna. Did you see that?" She looked back to see that Donna was frozen, too.

"Yeah," the redhead managed as the two looked at each other, shocked at the turn of events. "God. I've never seen Kelso that pissed off before."

"Why do they get like that?" Jackie asked, feeling herself start to cry as she watched him go. "So cold and _mean_ when they're the ones who screwed up."

"He's hurting, Jackie, and he doesn't know how to make it better."

Both women watched as Kelso punched his back window out and got inside his car, peeling away in the pouring rain. "Brooke," Jackie uttered and took off running down the hallway…

* * *

Hyde's Apartment

6:36 p.m.

Hyde was tucked between his sheets, in and out of sleep, still doped up on his Percocet and then some. But he felt the sheets moving, being lifted, and felt a body slide in between. Bare skin came into contact with his skin and her warm, smooth leg slid between his.

"You feeling better at all?" Jessica soothed against his naked back, treating him with gentle open-mouthed kisses.

Hyde shut his eyes. Fuck, this was getting harder to avoid, but, thankfully, the medication was keeping his dick flaccid and his mind locked on sleep. "Not yet. Come on," he scolded, nudging her back and taking out his growing frustrations with Jackie's absence on her. "Jess, I feel like shit, even with the pills, and I couldn't get it up if I wanted to."

Behind him, his girlfriend sighed, obviously discouraged.

"Crap." She was making this harder than he thought she would. Feeling guilty from pushing her away all day, Hyde rolled over and pulled her close, placing his forehead to hers. "What do you want me to do? I can I barely keep my eyes open, my ears are fucking killing me and my throat hurts and that's still…"

"Alright," Jessica took in a deep breath, dropping her head to the pillow below with a turned down mouth. "I just wanna feel you. I missed you." She raised her head again. "Just a kiss. Please. I don't care if I get sick."

The look on her face was painful, her eyes pleading, and so, he gave in, kissing her, letting her taste his tongue briefly before giving her a long series of soft pecks to satisfy her. But she wasn't greedy. Instead, she smiled and snuggled in beside him. "Thank you."

Suddenly grateful that she even cared, Hyde smiled and kissed her forehead. "You're welcome…"

* * *

Kelso Household

7:30 p.m.

Alone, Donna sat idly on the Kelso couch, halfheartedly watching Taxi as she waited. Brooke hadn't come out of her room since she'd gone in and Donna was beginning to wonder what in the hell was taking Jackie so long. Comforting people was not exactly her forte and she was getting worried about Brooke, all alone in her room like that. The only sounds wafting from the master suite was of a lone piano key ringing softly as another masochistically sad song began to play.

Just then, she heard the front door swing open and slam. And within seconds, Jackie, slightly wet from the rain, pranced in with a small suitcase. "Did Michael come back?"

Donna shook her head. "Uh uh."

"Well did he call?"

"Nope."

"Did…" Jackie walked around the couch until she was standing in front of the redhead. "You know, _anyone else_ call?"

"Eric called."

"Did anyone _important_ call, Donna?"

"You mean, like _Hyde_, Jackie?"

The brunette beamed. "Yes, like him! Did he call?"

"No."

"Ugh." Jackie slumped down on the couch. "God. He didn't call my house either. There's not a single message from him."

"Well what did you expect, Jackie? Jessica's home now."

"Yeah, but…" The brunette sighed gallingly. "I mean, he said he would break up with her. So you'd think even though I said no, in the spur of the moment, may I add, that he would still miss me. But…He told me he loved me, Donna. While we were high on Leo's LSD. It was so magical," she said dreamily.

"Wait. He actually _said_ 'I love you?"

"Well, no. I asked him if he loved me, and he said…" Jackie stopped. "Oh, what would you know about it! Eric told you he loved cake!"

"Why do you _always_ bring that up?"

"It doesn't matter," Jackie shooed. "I told him no and I guess he just accepted it. It's just…"

Absentmindedly, Jackie picked up one of Betsy's soft rag dolls and brought it to her chest. "I thought we had more time, you know? But Jessica came home early, and I got nervous, and I panicked. And I know it's the right decision, Donna. I do. I was planning on telling him no. But I wanted to be able to say goodbye. Like a real goodbye, Donna. We've never really had that. Not when we were supposed to." Suddenly, Jackie gasped. "Donna, call him for me."

"What? No way."

"Donna! I can't call. And Brooke can't. She never calls him. Michael's gone and I can't ask stupid Eric or you might think I'm hitting on him!" Jackie snapped, rolling her eyes.

"Jackie… I didn't…Ugh. Fine!" Donna ended up saying out of guilt. And Jackie smiled. "But I never call him either. She's gonna wonder why I'm calling to talk to just him."

_A few minutes later..._

Donna hung up the phone. "Still no answer."

And in front of her, Jackie continued to pace and chew the polish from her fingernails. "God, why aren't they answering the phone, Donna?! What are they doing?" There was a long pause in which Jackie just stared at her friend, questioning, pleading with her as if she held the secret code to Hyde and Jessica's daily itinerary. But, of course, she didn't and the redhead could only shrug helplessly.

"Jackie, it's possible he just changed his mind."

"No. No, he…wouldn't…" Jackie simply shook her head and turned around, barely remembering her vacant steps. She was on autopilot now, walking down the long, dark hallway toward Brooke's bedroom. There was a haunting sound coming from inside its walls. The soft, gentle humming of music and crying. A light was on and she could see the thin strip of a warm, orange-tinted glow at the end the hallway's bend. It was the only place she wanted to be. With her friend. In the dim orange light. On that huge, cushiony bed of hers. She just couldn't stop thinking, wondering, worrying if Hyde had touched her, kissed her, made love to her. And she needed Brooke.

xxxxx

Every night that goes between  
I feel a little less  
As you slowly go away from me  
This is only another test

She rounded the corner until she could see a little into the room. The door was open. And she continued to press her bare feet slowly into the carpet, carefully closing in on the solemn girl who sat inside. "Brooke?" Jackie pushed open the door and, as the bed came into view, she saw her friend, lying on her side and staring into the abyss through glistening, swollen eyes.

Glancing around the room, Jackie was quite amazed at the production. Candles burned. A red scarf hung over a lampshade beside the bed. And Stevie Nicks cried to her love from a spinning black disk in the corner.

_Every night you do not call  
Your softness fades away  
Did I ever really care that much?  
Is there anything left to say?_

A sad, but proud, smile arrived. A girl who took her mourning seriously. Just like her. For there was a belief she held. If a girl is going to cry, puff out her face and ruin her makeup, she may as well do it in style.

A few steps brought Jackie to the foot of the bed and she hopped up to sit. And surprisingly, it wasn't until this moment, until she was willing to let herself go down with Brooke to that hellish place where women mourned the men they loved, that she realized it. It was really the first time she'd let herself admit it, in the midst of Brooke's bad place. God damn it. She loved him. But she had told him otherwise. Again. "Oh God," she cried as tears flowed freely. "Oh my God, Brooke…He's not gonna come for me…"

_September __20, 1979_

_Her eyes had been cried raw by the time Fez had entered her bedroom and lain down beside her. But yet, the tears still managed themselves, working overtime on this dark blue night to accomadate the pain. Lifti__ng her head head from her satuarated pillow, Jackie didn't even bother wiping the mess of tears and mucos from her face as she stared at the sympathetic look on his face. It was the first of its kind that she had seen since Hyde had been back from Vegas. _

"_Well?" _

_Fez shook his head solemnly. "He said he's not coming, Jackie… I'm sorry."_

_Every hour of fear I spend  
My body tries to cry  
Living through each empty night  
A deadly call inside_

_Jackie closed her eyes a__s the muscles in her face locked into a sob, one she couldn't break from. She was frozen in her devastation, ignoring the hot tears that rolled into her mouth and onto her hands. He had been her baby. Her one. And only a deep gasping breath could break her silence. There was nothing left. And all her friend could do was hold her and comb her tear-soaked hair as she wept. _

"_I thought he loved me," she sobbed quietly into his shoulder. "I thought he loved me, Fez… I thought he loved me… God," she breathed out, yawning in her exhaustion. "I thought he loved me…"_

I haven't felt this way I feel  
Since many a year ago  
But in those years and the lifetimes past  
I did not deal with the road

"I thought he loved me," Jackie thought she heard a small voice say, and frowned in her confusion.

"What?" she asked Brooke gently.

The older girl sniffled and looked up, her face pathetic with tears. "I thought he loved me," she cried gently. Stunned, Jackie blew out her breath and let her shoulders fall.

"Oh, Brooke…He does." Getting to her knees, Jackie crawled up Brooke's bed and snuggled in beside her friend, wrapping her arms tightly around her. There was no doubt in her mind that she knew Brooke's pain. No doubt of what Brooke needed. It had been all she had ever wanted. To be held, and heard. And although it had only happened on two occasions, at least it had. She squeezed her friend with everything she had, the way Fez had done for her. The way no one else would. "He does. He…" What words on earth would make a difference? "He just made a mistake, and he doesn't know what to do to fix it. But I know Michael and he loves you."

_And I did not deal with you, I know  
Though the love has always been  
So I search to find an answer there  
So I can truly win_

Brooke opened her eyes. "Did you try to call Hyde?"

Jackie nodded. "Donna did…But he didn't answer. I think…I think maybe I ruined it again, Brooke. He was trying." She sulked, lowering her head in regret and resting her cheek on the top of Brooke's head. "He was trying his best."

"He'll wait for you, Jackie. I saw it… He'll wait…" Brooke laid her head back down against Jackie's chest and closed her eyes. "Where do you think Michael is? You don't think he'd…"

"No. God. No. Michael's just feeling sorry for himself. But he's not stupid. Not after tonight. There is NO way he's doing anything he's not supposed to be. Well, lemme take that back. He's not cheating."

Brooke took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It sounded healthy to Jackie, warming. Her friend was slowly healing from the inside out. And, basking inside of that relieved exhale, she let her mind wander back to Hyde. Closing her eyes, she tried to feel him and wondered if he was feeling her, too. If he remembered what she had said. She assumed not, by the way he had responded the rest of that night. But who knew with him. He was fickle and so hard to read.

_So I try to say goodbye, my friend  
I'd like to leave you with something warm  
But never have I been a blue calm sea  
I have always been a storm_

Jackie opened her eyes and took in the room's soothing atmosphere. She had come to another fork in the road. There were a million, it seemed, on this path. This path that she had haphazardly chosen with the help of some tequila and a dark, intimate enclave. They had all betrayed her. The sting of the liquor. His comforting hands on her thighs. The feel of his lips on her skin, on her neck, her jaw. And his warm breath in her ear. His voice. Jackie's chest tightened. "God, it was so hard."

"What?"

"Saying no to him," she said, breaking into a small cry. "I have always," she breathed out, "wanted him."

"I know," Brooke whispered, squeezing Jackie tighter. "You did what you thought was right at the time. What else can you do?"

_She said, "Every night he will break your heart__."  
I should've know from the first  
I'd be the broken hearted_

"Do you think…Do you think I'm weak, Brooke?" Jackie asked. "For wanting him, after what he did. I mean, it was so long ago, but…"

"I don't think you're weak. I'm just scared for you. That's all." Brooke frowned as her headache returned. "You do what you have to do," she murmured quietly, barely awake anymore. "Just," she yawned, "love who you want."

And as Brooke fell silent in her arms, Jackie looked around the dimly-lit room and forgave herself. Forgave herself for keeping such a cruel boy in her heart all these years. For allowing him to sink deeper in. And for putting him there in the first place. Because she finally, but slowly, was realizing that there was no way around any of it. He'd impressed upon her since she was a blossoming girl. The scruffy boy with the bad attitude and the quiet heart. But she'd heard it, softly beating, and reached out. It wasn't her fault. She had been a curious youth and he had been her baby, her one, even then…

_I loved you from the start…_

_Save us…_

_But __not all the prayers in the world  
Could save us…_

* * *

**Saturday**

**November 17, 2004**

Kelso Household

12:11 p.m.

The front door slammed, and Jackie made her way through the living room and into the kitchen. From there, she could see into the family room. In her hand was a large white bag. "Sandwiches!" she yelled out and watched Donna rise from the couch as she placed it on the counter.

"Oh, thank God," the taller girl said, walking around into the kitchen. "I thought I was gonna have to eat macaroni 'n cheese or pudding."

"So?"

Donna shook her head. "Hyde and Jessica still aren't answering." Upon the news, all the air came out of Jackie, who shut her eyes as Donna continued. "And I talked to Eric. Kelso never showed up."

Jackie felt like she was going to throw up. "Yeah, I went home and checked my machine." Taking out a hoagie, she shook her head. "Nothing." Then she handed it to Donna and reached inside the bag for the other two. "Did you call Fez? Maybe he…"

"Nope. Not there either." Donna unwrapped her sandwich. "But Eric's on his way. He's gonna stop by Hyde's and see if Kelso showed up there."

Jackie beamed. "Oh! Did you tell him to tell Steven to call me?!"

"Oh, crap!" Donna slammed down her meal. "I knew I forgot something."

"Donna!"

"I'm sorry," she winced. "I got distracted. Eric was bitching at me about not coming home last night."

"Well at least he gives a damn," Brooke interjected, walking into the kitchen, fully dressed, hair done and looking like a new woman.

Jackie clapped her hands together. "Brooke! You're up!"

"Yeah. I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit in my room all day because of that jerk."

"Are you ok?" Donna asked her.

"No," Brooke admitted, taking the sandwich being handed to her. "But I will be."

"But what about the wedding?" Jackie queried.

"Oh, the wedding's _off_." At that, Donna and Jackie shared a concerned look. "What?" Brooke asked. "He lied to me. And I told him a long time ago that I can deal with anything. I can deal with the fact that he ties his shoelaces together sometimes and that he's not always gonna be the sharpest knife in the drawer, and that, on occasion, I have to unglue him from things. But I won't tolerate a liar. Not about stuff like that."

A disgusted look on her face, Donna shook her head. "Men."

"They're all liars," Brooke finished for her and walked out of the room, heading for the family room.

"Big, fat liars," Jackie added scornfully, following her.

At that, the redhead nodded and grabbed a bottle of wine she had been eyeing. "Yep. And crybabies."

"Big, fat crybabies!" Jackie growled as she sat down on the couch.

Brooke took a fierce bite off her sandwich. "You've got that right."

Seething, Jackie swiped the bottle of wine from Donna's hand. "Gimme that…"

* * *

Hyde's Apartment

1:57 p.m.

Rising fast out of a deep, groggy sleep, Hyde opened his scowling eyes to the sound of a vacuum. He looked around his bedroom, never moving. "What the hell?" Knowing better by now, he sat up slowly and heard the machine turn off. And within seconds, Jessica walked into his room and set some folded clothes down.

"Oh, hey, baby. I'm glad you're awake. I need to give you your drops." He only stared her, falling back into dread. She was wearing one of his t-shirts, a small one, and that was all. Jessica raised her eyebrows at his cowering gaze. "Do you think you're gonna be a wake for a while this time?" she asked, walking over with a strained smile.

"Uh… I think so," he responded cagily, praying that she keep away.

"Well good." But God wasn't that kind to him. He was on his own again today, forced to fight her off with his own medicated wits as she sat down beside him and began to rub his chest. "Because I hate having to miss you when you're right here."

All he could do was watch her movements and be ready for the next one. But he just wasn't as scared of her as he had been yesterday. And Jackie had made not one attempt to stop him, leaving with the last word, a denial. She didn't want him. But Jessica, with her sweet, adoring smile, did. Always did…

* * *

Kelso Household

3:46 p.m.

Tired from dealing with the rain and a blocked highway, Eric and Fez stepped up to Brooke's front door, mind-weary. Eric raised his hand to knock but Fez stopped him.

"Wait. Do you hear that?"

_You're makin' me go  
Then making me stay  
Why do you hurt me so bad?_

Eric listened but only heard the soft sound of rain pouring. "Hear what?"

"The sound of a man's balls being danced on."

"What?"

_It would help me to know.  
Do I stand in your way?  
Or am I the best thing you've had?_

"That is Pat Benatar!" Fez explained. "And _that," _He pointed inside the house. "is the anthem of angry ladies everywhere. They're probably in there, naked and dancing around Kelso's severed head." Fez gazed in adoration. "His beautiful severed head."

Eric pitched a single eyebrow at the prospect. "Naked, you say?"

Fez thought it over and nodded. "I hear you my friend," he smiled. "Let's go."

_Believe me, believe me  
I can't tell you why  
But I'm trapped by your love  
And chained to your side…_

"But it's…" Eric turned the knob and grinned evilly. "Unlocked." Together, they went in, finally entering into the dangerous, but tempting sounds of female unity and male loathing, all wrapped up into one spunky ass song. Fez tipped his head at Eric, directing him to look over. And there they were, dancing, clothed and not around any severed heads. "Damn. But…wait…" Eric whispered, moving his head to and fro, following the girls' movement, "It's still pretty hot. Keep moving."

Gingerly, the men skulked across the living room and peered through the kitchen into the family room. Confused by what he was witnessing, Eric frowned. "What are they doing?"

Fez pointed. "Oh, see Jackie is Pat Benatar while Brooke and Donna are her back-up whores. Like in the video."

Swaying her hips, Jackie rocked from side to side and took a few steps forward as she popped her hairbrush into the air and caught, bringing it to her mouth. "_We are young! No one can tell us we're wrong! Searching our hearts..." _

Brooke and Donna watched each other, giggling at their synchronized movements, while the smallest girl sang her heart out up front.

Flabbergasted, Eric tapped Fez. "Is this what they do when we're not around?"

"I don't know, but I hope so!" The foreigner watched in absolute amazement. "We need to start investing in some of that high-tech spy equipment." Eric nodded as the girls all flopped onto the couch, exhausted and laughing. "No!" Fez screamed out. "Don't stop!"

"Fez!" Eric rebuked.

The girls all looked over as Fez ducked, leaving only Eric standing there alone like a stunned forest animal. "Eric!"

"What…No…" He looked down and saw Fez, snickering on the floor. "Fez! You suck! Get up!"

Caught, both men simply swaggered into the family room. "Fancy show," Fez complimented. "We have tickets for the second one. So you all better grease up."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Sit down, pig."

"Ok." Eric sat and suddenly had a Jackie in his face, her eyes wide. He furrowed his brow. "Wha..." He looked at Donna. "What is she doing?"

Jackie simply stared at him. "Did you go to Steven's?"

Slowly, he let his eyes wander over to her without shifting his head. No sudden movements. That's what always worked best with creatures like Jackie. "Yes," he answered warily.

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Well what were they doing? Did they look sweaty or out of breath? What was she wearing?"

"Oh, I can tell you that," Fez cut in. "She was wearing one of Hyde's thin white t-shirts and a pair of cut-off shorts. Very sexy."

"Fez!" Jackie shouted, reaching over and smacking him in the head. "She is not sexy!"

"She isn't?"

"No!"

Fez cowered. "Okay."

Jackie returned her concentration to Eric. "Eric, what were they doing? Did Michael show up?" She gasped. "Did Steven say anything about me? Why aren't they answering the phone?"

"Enough!" Eric sang, scooting back. "Relax. No, Kelso didn't show up there. Jessica was putting drops in his ears. No, they didn't look sweaty or out of breath. And she said that she hadn't heard the phone ring once since she got home and that she'd check the line. Oh, and no…he didn't say anything about you. But she did look hot in Hyde's t-shirt!" Eric stuck out his tongue.

Jackie folded her arms, glaring at the twerp while Donna smiled and cuddled him. "Well, whatever, I'm glad you're here."

"Well I hope you're glad _you're_ here 'cause we're trapped," he said.

Brooke scrunched her nose. "Huh?"

"Yes, we are all stuck here until the roads open back up," Fez explained. "There's one highway lane open getting into the city, but they're all closed going out from the flooding."

"It's that bad out there today?" Brooke asked.

"Yep," Eric assured her. "It took us an hour and a half to get here."

Everyone looked around at each other. The girls drunk. The boys not. But that could be changed. Easily. Donna handed Eric a bottle of wine from the table. "We've got eight more."

Already drunk herself, Brooke smiled and stuck out her tongue. "Test bottles for the wedding we're not having."

"Oh, man," Eric groaned. "You canceled the wedding?" Upon her solemn nod, he shook his head. "What is it with this group and weddings? Me and Donna, Fez and Laurie, Hyde and…that chick…"

"Watch it, Eric," Jackie grumbled.

"And now Brooke and Kelso," he added, ignoring her. "I think we're cursed."

"Yes, we are." Jackie stood up. "But you know how we can break that curse?" She rotated her hands, smiling as she coaxed the group on. "You guys can call Steven for me."

"Yeah," Eric looked up. "No."

"Eric!"

"Come on, Jackie. If Hyde wants to talk to you, he'll call. I'm not getting involved in this. But," he sighed. "Just trust me. He's…he's a little confused right now, ok? He'll call you."

Deflating, Jackie sat down on the couch and placed her head on Fez's shoulder. "But he doesn't know where I am…"

* * *

Hyde's Apartment

7:58 p.m.

Having had spent the day in bed, Hyde was comfortably settled in. By his bedside, a couple of lamps lit up the room. A small TV table sat next to him and held all the amenities he needed: pain pills, orange soda, and the remote control to a small 13" television that sat on his armoire on the far wall. In theory, he should have been contented, satisfied in pharmaceutically manufactured high. But he just couldn't relax, because, to his left, sat his girlfriend, wearing something tiny and giggling as she watched Laverne and Shirley.

He felt like he was waiting for something, holding out for just a little while. Jackie was flakey. That was a fact. But it had been two days and her time was running out. Why he was waiting for her, waiting to begin his life again, he wasn't sure. But like always, he was being made a fool and it was beginning to piss him off. After all, when it was all said and done, there was only one girl here with him. One who _wanted_ to be here with him. And he was starting to feel at ease with her again, figuring that the night would end as uneventfully as the previous one, with him satisfied that he had made it through another day. Tomorrow he would try to repair what he had left with Jessica.

So, Hyde settled into his bed, sinking down some and began to relax until the blonde laughed and grabbed his thigh, making him jump.

His reaction left Jessica just as startled as he. "Okay, that's it!" She sat up. "What the hell is going on with you?!"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Well, how about the fact that you jump about ten feet every time I touch you." He watched the sides of her jaw tighten. "I've been home for two days and you won't even kiss me. You won't touch me! What's the matter with you?!"

Hyde slammed his hands down to his side. "I'm sick!"

"Bullshit!" she yelled. "God, you didn't even miss me, did you?! The whole time I was gone, you never called, and when I called you, you would blow me off or act like a dick! And I still couldn't wait to get home to see you. I thought you'd be happy to see me. But you're not!"

"Jess, I'm fuckin' happy to see you, okay?" he argued back. "I'm…I feel like crap. It's not exactly putting me in the mood!"

Jessica shook her head. "God, you are so full of shit," she spat. "You know, at first, I figured that was it. You were just sick and that's why you were acting like this. So I kept my mouth shut about everything, about your attitude and about your ex-girlfriend being in the damn house when I get here."

"I already told you, Mrs. Forman sent her."

"Yeah," Jessica's eyes thinned. "That seems to be the story," she derided and got up on her knees, placing one foot on the floor. "Steven, do you even want me here? Huh, or did I just waste the last two weeks missing someone who doesn't even give a crap about me?" Hyde only stared at her, pissed. His eyes had grown cold as she spoke. And he knew, every argument that existed on this planet, he would win against her. Because the plain fact was, she cared more. And she hurt easier. Jessica nodded. Well, maybe not tonight. "Fine. I'll just get out of here then. You can take care of your fucking self."

"Hey," he grabbed her. Fuck. She had one advantage, it seemed. He felt guilty. And there's nothing surer to bring you to your knees than fucking someone else. He had never lied about something this big before. He had always just confessed, admitted things he'd done, most of the time without remorse. And holding this one in was eating him alive.

"Let go, Steven," Jessica said calmly.

"No," Hyde refused, just as calmly. "I'm not gonna let go, 'cause…you're pretty fast and I have a headache." He sighed at her expression. She was unimpressed. "Come on, Jess. I just…I don't know what the hell to say to you right now."

"What are you talking about? You don't know what to say to me? How about 'Hey Jessica. Glad you're home.' Or how about 'I missed you! Thank you for putting up with my shit!' Something Steven!"

He watched her vent her disappointment with him, wanting so badly to apologize as she did, tell her sorry for falling for someone else while she was gone. It wasn't personal. It was history. Something that came long before she did. Something that even the coldest parts of his mind would not erase.

"Jess, we're gonna be fine. Okay? I just had a weird two weeks. But I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Just…just give me some time, okay?" He let go of her hand. "It's not you."

"Then kiss me," Jessica demanded. "Tell me you missed me. Please! 'Cause I missed you _so_ much and I need something." Exhausted from it all, she sat back down and gave him an hard, honest look. "Baby, please…"

* * *

Kelso Household

8:04 p.m.

Eric stared at the ceiling, obviously on the verge of a self-inflicted injury as Jackie sang dramatically near his head. _"I'm all out of love. I'm so lost without you. I know you were right. Believing for so long."_ She raised the pitch of her voice to an almost untolerable level. _"I'm all out of love! What am I without you? I can't be too late_ _to tell you I was so wro-o-o-ng…"_

"Alri-i-i-ight!" Eric screamed. "I'll call! Just stop…singing! Have mercy, woman," he sneered, walking over to the Lazyboy chair next to the phone and taking a seat. "And I thought your voice couldn't get more inhuman."

Jackie smacked her hands together. "Okay! Now just act like you're calling to talk about one of your annoying Ericy girl problems."

Eric nodded. "Well what a coincidence, I'm having an annoying girl problem right now."

"See._ There_ you go," she encouraged as Donna, Brooke and Fez all laughed. "Ok, call. Call!"

"Alright. Alright. Hang on. Why should I call for _you, _anyway?" His expression displaying the change in his mindset, Eric narrowed his eyes. "What are your intentions with my friend, devil?" He sat forward at her. "I call him over here and what?" He pointed to his own head. "You're gonna mess with his mind again, huh?"

Jackie rolled her eyes. "No."

"No!" Eric said excitedly. "You put a hex or a whammy on him, didn't you?"

"No. Eric! I can't help how Steven feels around me. I mean, he was_ right_ there when I blossomed into the beautiful woman you see today."

Donna closed her eyes and nodded. "Way to be humble, Jackie."

"Thank you, Donna."

"Look, Jackie," the redhead added. "I kind of have to agree with Eric on this one."

"Shocker," Fez mumbled.

"Shut up, Fez," she snapped, turning back to Jackie. "Now just listen to me. You and Hyde have only been fooling around for what, a couple of weeks now? I mean, Jackie, really think about this. You're gonna give Colin up for a few weeks of sex with Hyde? All of us have watched you and Hyde do nothing but argue for the last five years."

"That's because of all the sexual tension, Donna…" Dispirited by the blank expression on Donna's face, Jackie threw up her hands. "Oh, forget it. You and Eric wouldn't know anything about it. It's something we attractive people have to deal with every day."

Brooke shook her head. "Jackie, that's not helping."

Jackie inhaled deeply. There had to be something they would understand. "Oh." Her eyes widened. She had it. "Okay, remember when you and Eric broke up that first time and you couldn't have sex together and you were at each other's throats?"

"Yeah."

"Well… just quadruple that, you know, to account for Steven and my good looks, and it's like a nuclear bomb going off!" Jackie's face turned serious. "Oh and plus…I think maybe we still loved each other."

Donna creased her eyebrows. "Jackie, the last time you two were in the same room before all this he called you a troll."

"My air as sticking up like this, Donna! He did me a favor." Huffing in frustration, Jackie got to her feet. "God. Look, okay. There are things that you guys don't know about."

"Like what," Fez asked.

The little brunette's expression turned stoic. "Fine. Alright, I'll tell you. But you guys have to promise not to tell Steven I told you." Ready to reveal a few secrets, Jackie walked to the far end of the living room and turned around. All eyes were on her. Just like she liked it. "Okay. You guys remember that guy Chris I dated a couple years ago?"

"The one with the Blazer?" Eric asked.

"Yeah. Him. Well…One night…He hit me."

Donna put her hands up. "What!"

"That's where I got this," Jackie explained, pointing to the small scar on her temple. Fez leaned forward to look as she showed him.

The foreigner shook his head. "My Jackie has an imperfection."

Sadly, Jackie nodded.

"You said you got into a scuffle with an ex-cheerleader over that pink alligator bag," Donna reminded her.

"Yeah, well I lied."

"Jackie!"

"Just listen, Donna! He was getting really aggressive and I got scared and locked myself in my room. I called everyone. You guys, Fez, and no one was home. But Steven _was_. And he ran." She turned her attention to the man by the phone. "He ran, Eric, all the way to my house. And he almost killed Chris. I had to stop him from kicking his head into a curb…"

Everyone but Brooke, who knew the story, dropped their jaws to the floor.

"But he saved me." Jackie shook her head, suddenly disgusted with herself for walking away from him two nights before. "He cared still."

"Wow," Donna uttered. "Huh. I can't believe he never told us that."

"Yeah, well, he stayed with me, and held me that night, and he said he wanted me back…" Playing with her fingers, she lowered her head. "But I told him no. And you should've seen the look on his face. He needed me. And I turned him away. Back then, you guys, that's when we weren't ready for each other. I made the right decision. Carol made me realize that. But now, I think now, maybe we are. And I think I might've made the wrong decision the other night."

"Wait," Fez grimaced. "Who the hell's Carol?"

Jackie tossed her head back. "Ugh. It's a long story." When she looked back down, everyone had their arms folded. They were waiting, and they weren't taking no for an answer. "Oh, fine." Jackie inhaled deeply and blew all of her breath out in dramatic form. "Well, it all started with this horribly rude gangster named…" She frowned in thought, "…Elmer, I think, or Wilmer or something stupid like that. Anyway, I didn't like him. He had no manners and he was threatening my poor Steven. So…" Jackie grinned proudly. "I sacrificed my pink Dior umbrella and Steven fought off eleven vicious gang members all by himself, just to defend me." Her shoulders rose in the memory. "He told me to run. But I didn't. But he was gonna die for me! Isn't that wonderful!"

"Jackie, that's horrible," Donna commented. "What happened?"

Sneering, Jackie waved Donna off. "Oh, I knew you wouldn't see the romance in it." She turned to attention to Eric and Fez instead, who both appeared absolutely enthralled. "Anyway, it was pouring rain and Steven punched one and then punched another. Oh, you guys, it was so sexy." Her eyes widened. "And then bam! One of the…"

* * *

Hyde's Apartment

8:15 p.m.

In one swift motion, Hyde raised his arms to the ceiling as his t-shirt swiftly rose up his torso and hit the floor. And the instant they were freed, his lips were being reclaimed by hers. His body fell immediately back onto the bed while hers followed to easily mount and straddle his hips. And into his mouth, her nimble tongue and soft moans sweetly dissolved.

But just then, as if a voice had shoved a wedge between them, guilt finally arrived.

Hyde grabbed her cheeks gently and pulled back a little. "Wait. Wait." He swallowed. "Wait." He was finding it trickier than ever, though, denying her. The way she was looking at him, glossed lips swollen and parted while her respirations came in heaves, making her chest rise to touch his. And in her eyes was incredible lust. Just for him. And it felt good. To be wanted so much.

"God. What's wrong now?" Jessica asked him, exasperated.

To be the _only_ man wanted by her.

Hyde shook his head, "You know what? Nothing," and kissed her deep and hard… right when the phone _finally_ rang…

* * *

Kelso Household

Eric sat patiently on the other end, letting it ring and ring as Jackie paced in front of him.

"Answer," he heard her pleading to herself quietly. "God, baby, answer."

He waited, and waited, through ring after ring, counting… Two… Three… Four…

"Eric," Jackie pleaded with him now, forsaking God for the time being, anything to hear Hyde's voice, wanting her, telling her it would all be okay.

Five… Six…

_To Be Continued… _

* * *

**A/N2:** Please review, without completely going off on me. Please, just have some faith in me. And, again, please do not hunt me down and destroy me. Thank you. 


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: The Lovers, The Dreamers, And Me**

**A/N:** To those of you who left me feedback last chapter, I just wanted to say that I really appreciate it. This story is exhausting to write, so just knowing that some of you are still reading it, and enjoying it, makes it all seem…well, less exhausting. :D So thank you. This chapter is sort of filler, very mellow and does not advance us much in time, BUT its content is crucial. And some things just really needed to be said.

**Please listen to the music. **

Maybe - the Chantels

The Rainbow Connection – Kermit the Frog

For **Tanith:** Just 'Cause.

* * *

_August 9, 1977_

_Southport Park Beach, Lake Michigan_

"_Fez!" Jackie had screeched happily while the tanned and shiny foreigner picked her squirming body up in the midst of a tickle. "Ew, you're all slippery!" she laughed as he carried her a few inches through the bright white sand, their bare, bronzed skin shimmering in unison under the hot August noon sun. Immediately, Jackie eyes zeroed in on Hyde, who was watching, his foot tapping. Unable to hold back her smirk at the slight irritation on his cherry red face, Jackie patted Fez's arm. "Fezzie, put me down."_

_Fez laughed, oblivious, "Okay," and set her tiny, whispered-for body down. _

_Trotting through the sand in her teeny-weeny bikini, Jackie plopped herself beneath the umbrella between her sun burnt super-secret make-out buddy and a sullen Eric Forman. She looked a while at the morose, skinny boy and sighed in sympathy. "Oh, come on, Eric," she pouted, patting his jean-clad thigh. "How can you not smile at the beach? It's the beach! Pretty girls in little bikinis and lots n lots of ice cream," she said temptingly. "And me!" _

_Eric simply shrugged and continued to draw in the sand. Giving Hyde a brief, but sorrowful look, Jackie tilted her head to read the skinny boy's words: 'Eric _**♥ **_Donna.' _

_Jackie pouted at the other two men who watched her. "Oh, Eric. She'll be back. I'm sure when she gets done with all those hot, exciting California boys, she'll really start to miss… you know, her boring old life with you," Jackie smiled encouragingly and nodded, looking once again at Hyde, who was shaking his head, and then at Fez, who was scowling at her. "What?" she asked with shameful eyes. "I'm…I'm just saying," she explained earnestly. "She'll be back. Right?" Jackie looked down at his artwork one more time. "For you, Eric." He looked up at her finally. "I promise…"_

**Saturday**

**November 17, 1984 **

**Kelso Household**

**8:37 p.m.**

Small petite fingers, painted at their tips in a warm, harvest apple red, traced the worn, frayed edges of a record sleeve. Jacquelyn Beulah Burkhart had slipped into this earth on April 4, 1960, three years after the date on this old recording—1957, a great year to be alive, she was told, and her mother's senior year of high school. Jackie smiled and pulled its vinyl disk out, glancing at Brooke's bedroom door to make sure she had shut it.

She had.

The sleeve's cover had been a familiar sight during her flip through Brooke's collection, having had also been part of her mother's when she was a child. Jackie smiled. Her mother, so young and beautiful in those days, and still un-jaded, had spent every minute with her, being just a mom. While daddy was at work, they would play dress up and drape their bodies in her mother's beautiful fifties dresses, their feet strapped into saddle shoes and bulky pumps. But best of all, her mother would use her long nails to gently pull their hair high, glossing their cheeks with blush and their lips with colors that made them feel like the pretty girls they were.

For hours, they would stare into a full-length mirror. "See," Pam would smile and say, her eyes still shining from the bright glow of youth and innocence. "You're the most beautiful girl in the whole world, Jacquelyn. Make them come to you."

Still hearing the resonance of her mother's voice in her head, Jackie placed the record on the turntable and aimed the spindle. And when she looked up, the world around her was suddenly donned in Technicolor and the soft-edged shapes of her childhood.

In the mirror before her, a beautiful young girl stared back, covered from head to toe in the shining fabric of her mother's classic yellow prom gown. Her hair was piled high off her slender neck and her cheeks glistened like apples to match her fingertips. And in the center of the rouged perfection, a tear rolled.

_Maybe, if I pray every night  
You'll come back to me.  
Maybe, if I cry everyday  
You'll come back to stay.  
Ohhhh, maybe..._

A gentle bat of her eyelids invoked her mother's high school gym, alive and decorated in blue and white streamers. Oh, the stories she would tell. How the girls looked, how the boys responded, how the large room sparkled in the darkness with spinning globes of light that could make even the hardest of souls melt from the sheer romance of it all. So much showmanship in the air. Such chivalry in their hearts. Such little time left.

It was the way men were supposed to be, her mother taught her. Decent in sharp-lined suits and the gallant expressions of their fathers before them. They all had it in them, she said. Even the ones with the jagged edges. For the right girl, anyway. Jackie knew, though, that there weren't many left willing to reach that far inside anymore. But in her mother's fashionable youth, every man had been appreciative of a woman's hesitant hand.

_Maybe, if I hold your hand  
You will understand  
And maybe, if I kissed your lips  
I'll be at your command.  
Ohhhh, maybe..._

A smile drying her slow-coming tears, Jackie closed her eyes and began to sway, allowing the silken material of her dress to slide between her fingers. She was feeling quixotic as she imagined all the possibilities. Steven in a three piece suit, courtly in his manner, stoic, patient, and most of all, in love. Deeply. With her. To her left, though, a door opened. And when she looked, there was a boy, dressed impeccably in that three piece.

Eric smiled. "My mom listens to this."

Jackie smiled back. "Mine, too."

As he sauntered forward, he held out his hand. "May I?"

She offered her own white-gloved hand as the intoxicating sting of her tears returned. "Please."

_I've prayed and prayed  
To the Lord  
To send you back, my love  
But instead you came to me  
Only in my dreams_

Jackie exhaled, choking on the reverie as her friend pulled her close. She placed her head against his chest and inhaled a clearer breath, following his lead when he began to sway with her body locked securely inside his arms. Neither said a word. This would only be between them—experienced members of the broken-heart club, the romantic souls of the universe.

Holding this small girl in his arms, Eric kept with every other beat, feeling her shudders and sniffles as they danced in the middle of Brooke's bedroom. He suspected he knew what was happening inside of her. Knew the feeling. Knew the night well. He had known all along, and having had seen them together, he hadn't given up like she thought. Like he said he was going to. In fact, he had persisted after she ran off to be alone.

_Maybe if I pray every night  
You'll come back to me  
Maybe If I cry every day  
You'll come back to stay  
Ohhhh, maybe…_

Eric hugged her tighter. Her eyes were lost tonight, blinded by her own volition. She had removed herself from the current world, escaped in self-preservation. But he had tracked her down, happy to meet her this far back in time. For he brought news from the present.

Bringing his breath to Jackie's ear, Eric pulled her back from the safety of a past that did not belong to her. "He answered the phone." Jackie looked up, stunned as Eric smiled. "He's on his way."

Jackie lit up and hugged him. "Oh, thank you, Eric! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you…"

* * *

Five Minutes Later

"God! What am I gonna do?"

"Jackie, you're wearing out Brooke's carpet. Calm down," Donna chastised, standing up from Brooke's bed to bring the nervous brunette safely to her butt. "Sit." And, on the bed, Jackie sat, chewing her nails and staring ahead into the infinite darkness of her indecision. "When you see him, it'll come to you," the redhead added quietly.

Jackie shook her head. "No. I mean, what am I gonna wear? And I didn't bring any of my Steven-enticing paraphernalia. My curlers, a see-through blouse, my watermelon lip gloss." Suddenly, Jackie gasped loudly. "Toe ring." Distressed, she turned to Brooke. "Oh my God. He's not gonna want me."

Brooke stepped forward and took Jackie by the shoulders, moving her toward her vanity. "Alright. Relax. Sit down right here." Slyly behind Jackie's back, as Jackie sat down and studied her own reflection, Brooke directed Donna toward her closet and began brushing the worried girl's hair. "I've got curlers, and maybe I've got a toe ring, and some smaller stuff that might fit you. Okay? We're gonna make you real pretty."

Having a thought, Jackie deflated in her seat. "But I already AM real pretty, Brooke. That was never the problem…" She focused on the mirror. At the perplexed girl she saw staring back. "Was it? I've always been beautiful, and we still didn't work. He just…" Jackie's bewilderment turned into a deep scowl. "He's just a jerk! He's always looking at what's on the inside!"

Donna chuckled. "Jackie, I doubt Hyde would have ever given you a second look if you weren't beautiful. I'm sure when it comes down to it, the most important thing to him is that you're hot." She didn't believe that, not completely anyway. But she was sure it was exactly what her friend wanted to hear.

Just as suspected, Jackie smiled, relieved, and placed her hand on her heart. "Ohhh, you really think so, Donna?"

Smiling, amused at her friend's incongruity, Donna shook her head. "Uh huh. I mean, I hate to bring this up," she threw in. "But he married a stripper. He's not as deep as you think."

Jackie frowned again, thoughtfully this time. The reminder had actually triggered the beginning flickers of an epiphany. Her brain was twisting and flipping old memories to make them fit into a single Hyde puzzle, putting him into perspective, opening doors and windows to concepts she'd never even considered before.

"But… that wasn't him, Donna. He's…" Certain, Jackie shook her head. "No. No. That just wasn't him. He cares about things. Deep things. He sees deeper than that. He does." Jackie's shoulders rose confidently as a giant smile appeared. With a renewed outlook, she turned to her reflection in the mirror. "I just have to make myself beautiful on the outside _and_ on the inside. That's what he loved." Staring back into Brooke's mirror, Jackie pushed inside her gaze to find what it was that he loved. That maybe he still loved. "Me," she realized, smiling. "Something… about _just _me." Quickly, she shot a pleading look at Brooke. "Can you put my hair up on one side with that pearl clip you…"

"So is no one going to watch the movie?" Fez walked in saying with Eric following in behind him. "It's all ready to go."

Jackie looked at the clock again and then at Eric. "No," she responded. "And when is he gonna be here, Eric? What did he say?"

Eric's eyes shifted around the room at the waiting faces. "Well… I'm not gonna lie," he said, walking over and taking a seat beside Donna and a bite off the sandwich in his hand. "He wasn't happy. But he definitely said he'd be here."

"Well, I mean, did you ask him to come here or… did he… Eric, just… what exactly did he say?" Jackie practically begged.

Rubbing his eyes, Eric sighed. "I don't know, I told him you were here and he…" Unsure he should continue, he paused.

"Eric," Donna pressed.

"He said 'Yeah, so?' And then… I told him how you'd been trying to call him all weekend. And he said 'For what?"

Jackie nodded slowly, pondering, listening. "Ok, so was it like '_For what?_" she snarled, imitating the most irritated version of Hyde. "Or was it like… curious? Like… happy-curious." She smiled optimistically.

"Yeeeeah," Eric droned. "I don't think Hyde's even capable of 'happy-curious'. It was more like 'pissed-off-but-interested."

Jackie raised her eyebrows with a self-assured expression. "Oh, I can handle his 'pissed-off-but-interested' veneer. I cracked that code long before Jessica was… _not_ doing things with him! Ugh!" Closing her eyes quickly, Jackie relaxed her muscles and told herself to pull herself together. "Ok. And so then what did he say?"

"Well… then I just said that you wanted to talk to him. And he asked if we were all going to be here all night and I said 'Yeah' and then he asked whether or not Kelso had come home yet and I said 'No' and then he just said 'I'll be right there' and that was it. He hung up."

Jackie sighed. "That's good, right?" She looked around at Fez, and Brooke, and Donna, and then back at Eric. The only noises were the simple rhythmic trickles of rain hitting the roof and the concrete just outside the bedroom's slider door. "Right?"

"Yeah," Brooke answered quickly, while Fez and Eric followed.

Donna nodded. She had to admit. She hadn't expected Hyde to leave Jessica at home like that and risk seeing Jackie. She just hadn't. This was all new territory for her. For all of them, really.

"Donna?" Jackie asked.

"Yeah," the redhead admitted. She didn't know what was going to happen, but from here on out, she was staying neutral. They were in uncharted waters, no one had a compass, and Hyde was on his way. "It's good, Jackie." She frowned. "I think."

Jackie smiled and clapped her hands together. "Ok, then! So then let's make me pretty!" She narrowed her eyes, determined. "And make him wish he never stepped one stupid, scroungy boot in Vegas…"

* * *

9:24 p.m.

They, whoever it is that 'they' may be, at any given point in time, always say that time flies when you're having fun. But they never mention, or offer any words of wisdom on, the excruciating manner in which it passes when you're waiting for the rest of your life to begin… or end, for that matter. 'They' just don't ever tell you that time seems to crawl, wearing itself out so much that it sleeps and rests and drives you mad with its indolence.

Lying on her side, with her head in Donna's lap, Jackie sighed, staring miserably at the mundane flicker of the television screen, all dressed up with no Steven J. Hyde to prance around. It was just another dull, stormy night in Milwaukee without him.

On the other end of the sectional, Brooke slept, while Fez, and Eric, who sat comfortably in Kelso's Lazyboy, munched on popcorn, enjoying the dreamy idealism of Fantasy Island.

Fez smiled sadly, but fondly. "Kelso loves this show." The foreigner looked around at his friends. "Do you think he's watching it right now? Wherever he is."

"I'm sure he is, Fezzie," Jackie mumbled, closing her eyes at the gentle way Donna was combing through her hair. For a girl who had probably chewed her nails down to the nub, she was doing a great job. A wonderful job tonight, in fact, being just a friend. Jackie just wished she could enjoy it more, and finally decide whether she wanted time to stop, or to just hurry up and end the night already. He obviously wasn't coming. She obviously had blown it. And the night obviously wasn't feeling the same magic that she was.

Over the sound of shouting coming from the television, Eric practically burst into tears with Fez, laughing and pointing at something on the screen, releasing her mind from its angst the very moment someone knocked on the front door. The moment she realized that she had been right. She could feel it coming for her. And he was getting closer. He was so close, in fact, that Jackie shuddered.

"Oh my God." She clamored into a sitting position. "He's here! Eric, go answer the door."

"Huh?" He pointed at Mr. Rourke. "But I'm watching…"

"GO!" she demanded. "Get up! GO!" A little flustered, Eric simply got to his feet and did as he was told, grumbling his way to the front door as Jackie and Donna stood and watched from the family room.

Nervous, she grabbed Donna's hand and held on through the tightness in her chest. Through the kitchen and beyond the living room, in the dark confines of the front entryway, Eric stopped and opened the door. He looked his soaked friend up and down. "Man, you okay?"

"No," Hyde grunted, stepping inside. He walked past his friend and turned around as he shut the door. "Man, it took me an hour and a half to get here." His lips pursed. "Did you know that the cops shut down the eastbound lane out of the city?"

Eric cringed. "Well…"

Hyde's jaw tightened, flexing as he tried to restrain himself from killing his best friend. He swallowed some of the anger down. "Man… To get back now I'm gonna have to cut all the way around through Kenosha and then take the 115 back to Point Place. That's gonna take me all damn night… This is all your fault!"

"What… You just hung up," Eric argued. "You said 'I'm on my way' and hung up."

Hyde sighed. "Crap." Behind him, he heard footsteps and turned, locking eyes with Jackie. He couldn't resist the inclination to notice that she looked beautiful. All dressed up for him. Her hair pulled away from her face, the way he liked it. And that thick feeling that swarmed around thoughts of her lately returned, like she hadn't just rejected him two nights before. His heart was pounding and his jaw tensed once again. But she had.

"Hey, Steven," Jackie muttered nervously, her eyes dancing between his. She was moving toward him.

Hyde wasn't sure what it was that had prompted his cruelty, what it was about her that charged that side of himself, but he returned his eyes to Eric and decided to send her a certain message, one this girl never seemed to get in all the years he'd known her.

"Is Kelso back yet?" he asked Eric, ignoring her completely as she approached his side and tried to grab his hand.

Sensing the sudden shift in the group dynamic, Eric glanced at Jackie and then at Hyde. "Um, no."

Pulling his hand away from her grasp, Hyde gestured with his eyes for Eric to follow him as he turned and headed for the family room. As expected, Eric followed, leaving Jackie and Donna to themselves.

Jackie threw up her hands, wanting to cry. She lowered her head and glossed over the way her body was decorated for him. Fresh nail polish. Flowing skirt. Pretty top, not see-through, but one she knew he would like, and a single, shining toe ring that sparkled up at her from her bare foot. "This was all a mistake."

Donna sulked. "God. You give up way too easily. Just… give him a minute." She put up her hands. "Look, regardless of what I or anyone else thinks about this whole thing, you two need to talk. You just need to figure out what you're both doing."

"Isn't it obvious, Donna?" Jackie snapped. "We're not doing anything! It's like we take two steps forward and then a step back, three steps forward, two steps back, and now we've just jumped back to 'Start."

Donna rolled her eyes. "God. You are such a drama queen, Jackie. Come on. Let's just go sit down. You've gotta learn to read between Hyde's lines. He's so simple, it's not even funny."

"Wait… What do you mean?"

"I mean, he obviously didn't come here to ask about Kelso. He's just ignoring you to let you know that he's mad at you for rejecting him." Donna smiled at the blatancy of it all. "It's his pride, Jackie. You just need to… somehow… get past it and talk to him."

Jackie nodded. "You're right. Okay. Let's just… go." She headed for the family room, escorted by Donna and fidgety as she tried to put her game-face back on. And as she stepped through the kitchen, she watched Hyde glance up at her and then back at his friends. He was talking to them, something about the rain, and once Jackie reached them, she sat down, right beside him, breezily, letting the perfumed air around her push toward him as she did.

The room turned quiet.

"So… I heard you're sick," Donna said to Hyde, sitting down beside Eric. "That sucks."

Hyde looked over at her, obviously pissed, and nodded. "Yeah. I should be home, in my bed, right now…" He looked squarely at Jackie. "With my girlfriend." Swiftly, he stood. "I've gotta make a phone call."

He walked around to the back of the couch to a desk and picked up the phone, quickly dialing and waiting. "Hey. It's me… Yeah, I just got here… No… Yeah, I just found that out… A cop told me on the way up here… Yeah… Yeah… No… Look. I'll be home later. Okay? I'll find a way back…"

"Well," Jackie uttered softly to her friends with tears in her eyes. "You guys should be happy. You were right all along. This whole thing with Steven and I was just a big mistake." Feeling the burst of tears coming on, Jackie made the quick decision to flee, getting up from the couch and running past Hyde, in the narrow space between the back of the couch and the desk, to get to Brooke's bedroom.

Hyde shut his eyes as he caught her wind and when he opened them again, Donna's green eyes were glaring at him. Beside her, Eric just watched him, seemingly disappointed. He could feel their judgment. It was all around him. Jackie's pain. All of it. "Yeah," he told Jessica. "Yeah, I'll see you when I get home… Bye."

Donna stood up. "Hyde. What the hell did you go and do that for? You jerk. Don't you even wanna hear what she had to say?"

"No." He saw the expression on her face and knew that he felt the same way she did. She was disgusted with him, and so was he. But it had hit him on the car ride over. He had been out of his mind thinking they could be anything other than enemies. It just worked better that way. They both could agree on it. And it seemed that everyone else could, too. "And what the hell do you guys care? You said, yourself, this was a mistake."

"Yeah, and I also said that I didn't want her getting hurt."

Hyde took a seat on the couch. "She'll get over it."

"That's not the point, Hyde," Donna snapped. "You're being a jerk to her. She spent an hour just getting ready to see you. And you promised her that no matter what her answer was, you wouldn't treat her like shit anymore. I heard you this time. In the woods. You promised."

"I was high."

"You're always high!"

"Exactly!" Hyde shouted. "Come on, man. We all know that Jackie and I screwed up. We shouldn't have been messing around in the first place. And she's playing fucking games with me now. She doesn't know what the hell she wants and I'm not putting up with this crap anymore." Hyde stood up, intent on pacing. "You know, I knew better, too. On Halloween, this little voice in my head kept telling me not to get involved with her again. She fucks up your head. And did I stop? No. I just kept doing it, and doing it… and doing it."

"Alright," Donna sneered. "We get the point."

"She doesn't know what she wants." Hyde shrugged. "And…I'm just done with this crap."

A few feet away, having had remained quiet through Hyde's tantrum, Fez nodded and sat back in his seat, turning to Hyde as he cut into the conversation. "Uh huh. So…why did you drive an hour and a half through the rain again? For Brooke's fancy coffee?"

"Huh?" Hyde frowned. "No, I…"

"No. I don't think so," Fez interjected. "You know why? Because she doesn't have any!" He folded his arms.

"Fez…"

The foreigner put up his hand. "AH! Kelso and I are watching Fantasy Island."

"Why _did_ you drive all the way up here, man?" Eric asked. "Just to blow her off?"

Hyde took in a deep breath. "No." He closed his eyes and rubbed them, beyond tired. He was getting hit from all sides, feeling halfway between this world and that, and he just wanted to lie down to sleep. So he sat once again. But while consequent thoughts of a soft mattress, the smooth, cool comfort of sheets, and the joy of never-ending slumber rolled into his mind, he let one more thought slip in, and didn't bother to push it away. It was a memory of lying with her a few nights prior. In the van. Even if she didn't remember, he did, maybe they all did…

… _Last Tuesday Night… _

_He had been flat on his back, aching as a metal pole that lined the bend of the van's back seat dug into his spine. But she was comfortable, her head bound to his chest as she sighed contently. _

"_You're so warm, Steven." Her shoulders rose. "Mmm. And comfortable." He looked down at the top of her head. She was hugging him so tightly and, thus, he hugged her back. "I feel so safe with you," she muttered softly. And somehow, he knew exactly what she was feeling. Because he was feeling it, too. The connection of their high. That bond that comes with tripping together, from anything. They were linked to each other's sides, captured in this new world until morning, with only the other to find solace in. And at that moment, only she knew him, only she saw him, and only she could know what he had gone through in his solitude. For years, he had kept himself in a painless sense of detachment. He had hated her. Loathed her. Because she had never given up. She kept insisting that he feel. That he love. And when he finally gave into her and did, letting her in, she screwed him with it. She took herself away. And left him to trip alone, without her._

_His thoughts invoked a scowl. "Have you thought about what I said at all?"_

_Jackie looked up, raising her head as she seemed to take notice of his irritation. "Yeah, but…" She raised her palm to his cheek gently. "Steven," she whispered. "Are you really serious? I mean, you really wanna be with me?" _

_Letting its concept flow through him once more, Hyde nodded. "Yeah. I do."_

"_Why, though?" she questioned. "I mean, you never acted like you wanted me before Halloween." Hyde blew out a breath, prompting her to rise to her elbows and frown. She was staring at him and he could feel the heat of her scrutiny. "It's a legitimate thing to say, Steven. Don't huff at me."_

"_I'm not huffing." _

"_You're huffing." _

"_Well, that's because I don't know what to tell you. I know how I acted, Jackie." _

_Jackie sighed. "Alright, fine," she said, lowering her head again. "You know what; I don't wanna talk about this right now. But can you just promise me one thing?" She glanced up again._

"_What?" _

"_That no matter what my answer is, you'll always look at me like this. Like the way you are right now. Like I don't disgust you."_

_Hyde grimaced. "Jackie, you've never disgusted me." He was suddenly amazed that he had actually made her buy into it. All that time. He figured they could all see right through him. "I was full of shit, Jackie." His expression softened and he smiled, chuckling mildly at himself. "Come on. What'd you want me to say? That you looked incredible every time I saw you. That that God damn white dress you wore on Easter…" _

_Jackie smiled when he censored himself with silence. "What about it, Steven?"_

_He shrugged and grinned. "You looked hot."_

_Jackie laughed and leaned down, giving him a soft peck. "Now was that so hard? Couldn't you have just said that on Easter?"_

_Knowing that the idea was ridiculous, Hyde laughed, too. "Would I have gotten a kiss on Easter?"_

"_No," she sang teasingly, pinching the skin on his chest. _

"_Ow."_

"_I had a boyfriend on Easter."  
_

"_Yeah. But… how about now? You have one now?"_

_Jackie's smile disappeared, leaving the gentle glow of her current appreciation for him. "I'm thinking about it, Steven. Okay? I promise. Just promise me, though, that no matter what, no more hating each other, ok?" Her bottom lip pronounced itself. "I don't like it. It really hurts me."_

_Hyde only blinked gently as he watched her. "I never hated you."_

"_You did."_

_Countered, Hyde closed his eyes and sighed, knowing deep down that she was right. In a way, he had. He raised his hands, not really sure what else to do. _

"_Well so then promise me, Steven," Jackie pressed. "No more hating each other."_

_He agreed. "I promise…" _

_------_

Breaking through his reverieHyde heard Donna's voice. "Hyde."

"God damn it." He stood up and immediately began to follow Jackie's path around the couch, pointing at his friends. "If Jess calls, I'm in the bathroom and Jackie's not here. Got it?"

"Got it, man," Eric replied as he and Donna watched him disappear through the kitchen.

Donna scoffed, raising her eyebrows. "Wow. What a mess."

"Yep," Eric agreed.

"They're not gonna resolve this peacefully and go their separate ways, are they?"

"Nope…"

* * *

_March 16, 1978_

_A seventeen year old Jackie looked up at her boyfriend. He was beautiful and unexpectedly wonderful tonight. And on her chest, she could feel his thick fingers delicately run down the middle of her lapel, between her breasts and over her stomach. _

"_There," he said and lowered his hand. "It gets cold in here."_

_Jackie looked back down at her pajamas. "Well…It's just for this one night, though. It's just, you know, 'cause of that stupid movie. I'm usually fine sleeping there."_

_Hyde nodded. "Jackie. You shouldn't be sleeping alone in that house at all."_

"_Well what do you want me to do? Sleep here every night? I have a house, Steven."_

"_Yeah," Hyde sneered. "And you're not going back to that house until your parents get home."_

"_They're gonna be home soon," she assured him. "Any day now." _

"_Yeah, right. That's what you said three months ago."_

_Jackie sighed. "Look. I don't need anyone's help okay. I'm fine. I am so sick of people looking at me like 'Oh, look at poor little Jackie Burkhart. Her dad went to jail and her mom doesn't care. She has such a pathetic life." Her eyes casting downwards, Jackie shook her head and then looked back up at him with fierce conviction. "Well I am not pathetic! My life is great! I'm rich! And beautiful! And I'm sick of people feeling sorry for me!"_

"_I'm not feeling sorry for you," he responded matter-of-factly. "I'm just trying to protect from all the sicko predators out there. That's it. You're my girlfriend and I'm not letting you sleep in an empty house on the other side of town!"_

"_Oh, wait, wait, wait," Jackie argued. "You're not __**letting**__ me? Steven, you can't make me __**do**__ anything."_

"_Well fine…You wanna sleep there then I'll just go sleep there with you. And then I'll get busted and then I'll get kicked out again. But if that's how you want it, lemme just go grab my stuff…" Hyde started to move past her when she stopped him._

"_No. No, wait." Jackie pushed him down back into place. "Fine. We'll stay here. But I'm __**only**__ doing this so that you don't get into trouble. Not because I need help."_

"_Fine," Hyde said, playing along as he peeled off his t-shirt, lay down and smiled. With a smirk, he patted the empty piece of mattress beside him. "Come on."_

_Jackie smiled. "Fine," she said sitting down beside him. "Let's just go to sleep then."_

"_We're gonna sleep?"_

"_I don't know. Are we?"_

_Hyde grinned. "Can you control your dirty urges?"_

"_Can you?" Jackie giggled._

"_Hell no."_

_Having a thought, primarily based on the smug expression on his face, Jackie narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. A small smile peeked through. "You planned this, didn't you?"_

_Hyde grinned. "Yep. I had your dad indicted; your mother shipped off to Mexico and made sure Forman put on that zombie movie at 10 p.m. sharp." He shook his head, proud of himself. "And here you are, baby. Worked like a charm…"_

9:47 p.m.

Six years later, Jackie was sitting on the edge of Brooke's bed, in the near darkness, quiet as a breeze, just letting sporadic waves of sadness rise and fall through her chest. From one second to the next, the tides were changing, guided by the differing thoughts that swarmed through her mind. The left side of her brain would try and force Colin's image. But it just wouldn't come. He had taken too long this time. And too much had happened. But it always seemed as if moments like these favored him. He seemed normal and warm and like home. Home being sometime in October, or any time other than now. Back when life was effortless. It made her ache for his comfort.

But her right side, the romantic, self-tortured side of herself, continued to punish her with Hyde's name. That side was cruel. It wanted her to cry so badly, and wanted her to think of all the reasons she should. It gave her all the best parts of him to languish over. It made him an angel. A dream. But he was a beast, too—her mind's representation of him being so malevolent when he wouldn't give himself over. Those were the two sides of him, hot and cold, left and right, and neither was hers. Not tonight anyway.

Below, her feet were dangling, and she watched them as her heels disappeared over and over just beneath the bed's wood frame. She was waiting, hoping, that he would come. But the worst part was knowing that he probably wouldn't. He was never one to chase. But going out there was not an option either. Part of her just wanted to sleep. The morning would come and Colin would be home before nightfall. And this would all, finally, be over.

"Ohhh, God," Jackie sighed and rubbed her eyes, giving a crestfallen yawn before falling to her side. She pulled her knees up and closed her eyes. A few disappointed tears came through with another wave, but she wiped them away quickly. It was immediate, though, his sighting. Just like that, he was standing at the door, looking down, not much better off than she, it seemed. So Jackie looked away and waited, relieved as hell inside.

Licking his lips, Hyde glanced over, feeling shamed by his behavior. He was always doing that. Always harder on her than he was on others. He had it in his head that she could take the heat. But she never could.

Without a word, he walked over and sat down at her feet. She was quiet. No tears. Just silence. So he cleared his throat. "I didn't… I'm sorry, okay." Hyde shook his head. "Why'd you want me here, Jackie?"

Jackie glanced over briefly and looked back down, willing herself to be strong, even as tears began to overwhelm her. "I was too late, huh?"

"Too late for what?"

"For… God." She closed her eyes and wiped her mind of all the clutter. "Did you sleep with her?"

Hyde blinked and looked down, pinning down the mild rise of a smile. He shook his head, for the first time, in a long, long, long time, feeling proud of himself. "No." Jackie looked up quickly, wearing a questioning frown that caught his attention. "Jackie, I'd tell you if I did."

Jackie swallowed and lifted her forehead. "And you didn't?"

"No."

"Well, why not?"

A little confused, Hyde put his hands out. "What? I don't know." He dropped them. "Why do you think?"

An amazed smile began to rise over Jackie's lips. "Steven," she cooed. "That's…" Her smile wavered, but not by much. It was simply adjusting to the smorgasbord of thoughts that raced, and the tears that had swiftly changed their mood. "Wait, so you really didn't?"

"I really didn't," Hyde repeated, suddenly dropping his hands to his sides, irritated. "What, you don't believe me?"

"No, I do," Jackie smiled once again. "I do. I just…" And that smile shined so brightly. "I'm just so happy… I was…" Sitting upright, Jackie turned toward him and reached out to place on hand on his thigh, the other on his hip. "I had everyone calling you. I didn't know what to say when she showed up." Her eyes danced between his wildly. "Steven, before she came, I was gonna say no." Jackie shook her head fiercely. "But the whole time, this whole weekend, all I could think," And even though she was trying with all her might to stop them, happy tears continued to stream. "I… I just kept seeing you with her. But…" As she started to cry harder, Hyde scooted forward.

"Hey, come on. Don't…" Hyde took a sharp breath. "Look, we need to talk."

"But that's what we're doing now."

"I know."

Jackie sat back, frowning. "Oh my God. Did you change your mind?"

"No. But…" By nervous habit, Hyde wiped his hand over his mouth. "Just…lemme get this straight, Jackie. You were gonna pick Colin, but because you're so afraid of me nailing Jessica, now you want me?"

"No, that's…" Jackie shook her head. "That's not it. I mean, ok, it's part of it…"

Hyde shook his head gently, chuckling slightly, a little pissed at himself for assuming it was him she wanted. He was slipping lately.

"Steven. Just listen to me…"

"I kissed her," he blurted. And he wasn't shocked at all to see her face fall.

"What?" Jackie rumbled.

"Yeah, we made out. A couple of times." Hyde raised his shoulders and dropped them again. "It just happened," he added unapologetically. "I thought you should know."

"Wait… But you just said that you didn't…"

"No, I didn't have sex with her, Jackie. But I was about to… when Forman called."

Her heart rocketing to her throat, Jackie shook her head, anger rising with it and spilling out in her tears as she covered her face. "Oh my God… God, Steven… I hate you so much sometimes." Her muscles tensed with a punch-to-the-gut realization that she had let him do it again. He was playing his cruel games with her again. And Brooke's birthday party came crashing back. "Just get out."

"What?"

"You heard me. I said get out."

Hyde scoffed. "Well that was fast," he snapped and stood up, flipping his hand. "You change your damn mind more than Fez changes his sheets. I knew it was a mistake coming up here."

"Well, why did you then?! To rub it in my face that you were with her."

"Yeah, that's it, Jackie. I drove all the way up here, sick, to tell you about how I was just about to score with Jessica… I pushed her away all weekend, Jackie! 'Cause I thought maybe you'd call. But you didn't."

"I tried!" Jackie shot back. "Why didn't you call me?"

"I couldn't! She was right there!"

"Oh, that's right. I'm sure it's too hard to talk on the phone with your lips glued to hers!"

Hyde stayed quiet for a moment instead of volleying back with something to hurt her. He had no urge. Rather, he thought of what it was he wanted to say on the way up here. "Hey…"

"God. What, Steven?"

"It wasn't the same."

"What?"

"It was different being with her. Kissing her, it was all wrong."

"God. Just shut UP, Steven! I don't wanna know about what you did with her! Just…" Jackie closed her eyes and gulped in the air around her. "Just go away, Steven."

"Jackie…"

"Go."

Hyde stood there, watching her and gritting his teeth. She was serious. "Fine." He turned around and walked out. Feeling the pain return to his ears again, and nearly dizzy from exhaustion, he made his way back down the dark hallway. And as he turned the corner, he was met by Brooke.

"Hey." But she didn't respond. "Look. If Kelso shows up at my place, I'll get him back here, ok?"

"I don't want him back here," Brooke replied flatly and glanced behind him. "Where's Jackie?"

"Uh… In your room."

To Hyde's astonishment, Brooke studied him suspiciously. It wasn't very often they were alone, or even spoke for that matter, but, for some reason, it was making him uncomfortable. Maybe because he actually gave a crap what she thought of him. And she knew things about him. Things he'd done.

"You said something stupid, didn't you?" she asked him. "And just left her in there."

"Hey. She told me to leave, okay?"

Brooke nodded. "And when did you start listening to her?"

Hyde sighed. "Whatever." He moved to walk around her. "I'll let you know if Kelso shows up."

"No." Brooke pushed her hands into his stomach, stopping him instantly. "You're not leaving. You're gonna turn back around, and you're gonna go back in there and be a man for once."

Hyde laughed. "I'm not going back in there."

She didn't argue with him. Instead, Brooke simply narrowed her eyes. "You were there, weren't you?" she said, making Hyde scowl in confusion. "With Michael. When he cheated on me. When he got that girl pregnant. You were there."

Hyde's face blanched. And inside, it felt like his all his organs were rising high into his throat. Fuck. She was staring so glumly at him. Making him feel like the piece of shit he was. He never imagined he would have to face her. Especially not on that night. He had been drunk, too, wallowing in his shit life, thinking of how the one person he thought he could fall back on, wouldn't cushion him. He was feeling sorry for himself, and, in his selfishness, he had taken Kelso down with him. Maybe even on purpose.

Brooke's face turned, her lips curling down as she started to cry in the dark hallway, alone with him. "Did you at least try to stop him?"

Hyde shut his eyes and lowered his head. Against his back, he could feel Jackie's comfort, her warmth and safety. And he suddenly wanted to go hide with her instead of being so exposed to his mistakes in this hallway. "No," he muttered. "I didn't." Hyde looked up solemnly. "I'm… I'm sorry. I should've…" He sighed. "I don't know why I didn't." He watched a tear sparkle, glistening from the little light they had coming in from other rooms. It ran slowly down her cheek. "I'm sorry, Brooke."

Brooke kept her eyes on him. "Then turn around, Hyde."

Hyde nodded and turned, feeling her eyes against his back. After this, he swore, when morning broke, he was going to find his idiot friend and fix this for her. It was about time…

_-----_

Inside of Brooke's room, Jackie still sat, stewing over the night's events. She was tired of crying and the right side of her brain had finally shut up. The nerve he had, coming here after… Yeah, it was cheating, she told herself. After he had cheated on her. Sort of. Kind of. Jackie cringed. God. Maybe.

Suddenly she heard a noise and looked up.

"Why did you want me here?" Hyde stormed back in, demanding to know. "Just spill it, Jackie. Why?"

From her spot way over on the bed, though her night vision, Jackie could see that he was angry, and it gave her breath. Breath that made her rise smoothly from the mattress. She barely registered that she was upright now, standing sturdily on her feet. She was so focused on his face. His eyebrows were knitted together, his lips tense, and his eyes, they were on fire. But her own energy was stronger. She could feel it clenching inside of her. "Because I was going to choose you," she let out coolly, her voice low and monotone while the world around them stopped. And, in that moment, time took them back.

She remembered that day. She had been wearing stripes. And her hair had been pulled neatly from her face. She had dressed for him. And he had turned on her. He had forgotten that day just what it was he had in the palm of his hands. He had forgotten, or maybe not cared, that there was someone willing to give up everything just to be near him.

And tonight, on this stormy November evening, the whites of his eyes encircled blue in a wide ring that made them seem huge. Just like that day. Their last. But he didn't speak this time. He only blinked away, realizing that he had fouled.

Jackie nodded. "Tell me something, Steven." Hyde returned his eyes to her. "Why'd you come?"

He looked down slightly, his sights falling on the pretty top she had worn for him. Her collarbone was showing, meeting the base of her slender neck and it was strange to him what a simple body part could invoke. And he felt his shoulders sink. "For you."

She nodded again. "So you figured if you came in treating me like crap that I would fall on my knees and, what, beg for your forgiveness?"

"No."

"Can I ask you something, Steven?"

Hyde closed his eyes, his body hoping to impede their descent. It always came so fast. Always struck him when he wasn't prepared.

Jackie took a step forward. "What is it about me that you hate so much? Huh? What is it that I did to you that you have not one ounce of mercy when you look at me?"

Hyde opened his eyes. They were searing. "Look, I said I was sorry! That I was wrong. Okay? Can we just stop this before we screw everything up again? Can't we just… start over?"

"No," Jackie said matter-of-factly, shaking her head. "No. I'm tired of starting over with you, Steven. I'm at my limit. I used to be able to tolerate your crap. Your little moments. But not anymore. You have no more wiggle room. But after all these years, you still don't seem to get that, do you?"

"Get what?"

"That I'm not that little girl anymore, Steven. You know, the one used to chase you around and let you take out all of your anger on me." She looked him in the eyes, long and hard. "And I am not gonna tolerate your half-assed efforts to hold onto me... Not anymore."

Hyde looked away, vexed, forcing in a nose-full of air as he soaked in her words. Maybe his time had come. He knew all these things, that they were wrong, that he had crossed the line a million times with her. But now she did, too.

"I've been sitting here like an idiot, thinking about you, all night, Steven," Jackie continued. "And I made the decision that I was gonna pick you. Like I always do." And suddenly, to Hyde's dismay, she was chuckling irreverently. "I was actually gonna give you another chance, one that you don't deserve, Steven." Then she paused briefly as he returned his stare on her. There was something in his eyes. Understanding. Acknowledgement. Whatever it was. He knew. "I was gonna leave someone I love for you," Jackie added quickly, placing her hand on her heart. "And he is so wonderful to me, Steven. He treats me with respect, all the time. Not just when he feels like it. And he sees a future with me. And you know what? He tells me he loves me. And not just when he's screwed up."

Hyde eyes narrowed slightly. He'd never felt so much tension resting against his chest. "So then why don't you just go with him then?!"

Huffing, Jackie shook her head slowly. "God, Steven," she muttered as silent tears suddenly began to stream down her face, her voice unchanging. "You still don't get it, do you?!" She looked up to the ceiling. "You'll never get it." For a moment, she had to close her eyes and just inhale. The sound of the rain outside was helping clear away the wrong words that wanted to come. And she suddenly met eyes with him again. "Look at me, Steven."

"I am looking at you, Jackie."

"No. Really look at me." She stepped closer until she was within arm's reach. "There is no plot against you, Steven. There is no conspiracy and I have no ulterior motives. I never have." She shook her head as the she began to choke on the right words. "I just loved you… That was it. And it would have been so much easier not to. Trust me," she assured him teasingly. "You're the most painful person in the world to love. If I could have stopped, I would have. And I thought I did. After a while, I was fine without you. I was happy, Steven." She smiled away distantly. "I would go weeks and not even think about you once. And when I did, I didn't care. We were over, and I was happy."

Hyde shifted his feet and pulled in his bottom lip. "So then maybe we should just stay over."

Jackie nodded, figuring he would say something like that. "Is that what you want?" Typical Hyde, he shrugged. "No," she instantly demanded. "You give me an answer right now, Steven. Is that what you want, because, I promise you right now, if you say 'I don't know' or 'Yes', then we're done. It's as simple as that."

"Oh, is it?"

"Yes. It is," Jackie replied quickly. "This is your moment of truth, Steven. Because tomorrow, someone who does want me is coming home. He'll tell me he loves me. And he'll mean it." Her eyebrows creased, almost pleading as she spoke to him gently. "I love you, Steven," she admitted softly. "And maybe I always have. But like I said… I can be happy without you."

Feeling like the air had just been forced from his lungs, Hyde looked down and swallowed down the boulder in his throat. He wasn't expecting any of this. He had expected crying or yelling or her irrational demands, and he got some, but it was not her usual brand. They weren't out of desperation. She was calm, serious. And she was going to be okay. It was he now who felt desperate.

Part of him wondered if maybe Colin was the better man for her. She was happy. Before all of this. Before he had come back to fuck her up again and make her cry. She was right. It was he who fucked heads up. He made it hurt to love him. He could always see it in their eyes. They didn't want to love him. They just did. But she did, too. And it was that, those words, and, as he looked up, it was the look in her eyes, that forced his desperation into his mouth.

Just like that day. She was pleading; raw in her hunger.

And just like that day, he had a choice. There was a moment given to him. A chance. He'd thought about it in the past five years and come to one conclusion. It was his moment, his choice that day that had made her go away. Nothing else.

Hyde licked his lips and nodded. "Ok." Wiping his mouth dry, he took one final deep breath and looked at her, shrugging slowly. "I don't want this to be over." He paused. This was usually her cue to help him along by prodding but she simply raised her eyebrows at him expectantly. Hyde looked away and sighed, returning his eyes back to her again. "I wanna be with you, Jackie. I want us to try again."

His voice was low, almost impossible to hear behind the rain, but Jackie decided to press him on anyway.

"Because…"

Hyde cleared his throat. He had known it wouldn't be enough. And he knew, by the smooth tone of her voice that this was his second and last chance with her. But tonight, unlike that day, he felt like he was ready. "Because…" He couldn't help but look down, though. This was still hard. "I love you."

Jackie started to smile softly, but nodded instead at him as he looked up. "I need more, Steven."

"What?"

Finally sensing the world that existed around her, Jackie stepped over to sit on the bed. She needed to sit. Badly. The temptation to jump into his arms and kiss every inch of his face was too great for her to refuse on her feet. She wanted to smile, to scream out and just take his words and run away with them before he could take them back. But it was always that instinct to forgive without question that led her to more heartache. "I need to know why."

"Why what?"

She looked up. "Why you abandoned me."

Following her lead, Hyde sat down, too, right beside her, and blew out a breath. His head was throbbing. And his pills were in his pocket, but he needed to finish this with her. "Because I was stupid, Jackie," he admitted, rubbing his temple. "I wanted out."

Jackie looked over, wearing a frown. "Wait. What do you mean you wanted out?"

Beside her, Hyde put up his hands. "We were through, Jackie. I was done, okay," he clarified hesitantly. "I was tired of all the fighting about marriage and you telling me what a crappy boyfriend I was all the time and… dealing with Kelso."

"Nothing was going on with me and…"

"I know that now. Okay?" Hyde sighed. "Look… Even if Sam had never showed up, I still wouldn't have wanted to get back together."

"What?" It was immediate. Jackie's heart sunk, having always assumed that the stripper had been the thing that brought them down. She remembered once Donna saying something about Sam not being the whole issue, but she wouldn't listen. She wouldn't believe it. "What, so what are you saying? That you didn't love me anymore?" As Jackie waited to hear his answer, her nose began to sting and she instantly knew that she hated this night. It was like a second blow, inflicted upon herself in pure stupidity.

"I was a dick, Jackie." Hyde shrugged crossly. "I was pissed that you just took off to Chicago like that. And then when Kelso walked in, I figured that was it… I knew it was coming anyway."

"You knew what was coming?"

"Whatever it was that was gonna break us up," he snapped. "I was waiting for it. And then you picked that job over me and Kelso was there, and so… I picked her over you."

Jackie jaw clenched. "So you did it to hurt me."

Hyde shook his head. "No… I did it 'cause…" He stopped, suddenly unwilling to say another word. "Look. This is just gonna start another fight, Jackie. Let's just stop."

"No, Steven. You not explaining yourself is gonna start a fight." He wouldn't, though. He wouldn't open his stupid mouth and Jackie's eyes thinned, her breath growing heavy in anger. "I'm gonna give you three seconds…"

Hyde's body tensed. "God damn it, Jackie. This was five years ago. I can't change it." She wasn't having it, though, and so he tossed up his hands. "Fine. You wanna know? I liked her. She took my mind of off you. And if I was with her, then there was no way you and I were getting back together. And that's what I wanted at the time." He glanced up, noting that she was on the verge of more tears. He could've lied, said he'd done it to simply hurt her, but it wasn't a lie that was going to fix this. It was his discomfort, and hers, the thing they had been avoiding, that would shatter their curse, if anything could. Hyde shifted slightly. He still hated admitting this crap, though. "Plus, it wasn't like you were gonna take me back anyway, and this way… I was the one dumping you."

Jackie shook her head, letting it all soak in, the hurt, the pain that she had pushed away by acting like she didn't care, by acting like she was ok, like she was over it instantly. The road she'd chosen since the day he returned from Vegas still lurked precariously behind her. "Did that you make feel better about yourself, Steven?"

"No. It didn't."

"You sure seemed proud of yourself."

Hyde nodded solemnly. "Well… I wasn't."

"You seemed happy, too," she cried softly, finally breaking. "Thrilled to be rid of me and be with her instead." Jackie closed her eyes and started to sob harder. She wondered, as the tears flowed, just where all this had been hiding all these years. It burned like acid even now. "Donna," she wept. "She told me she'd never seen you so happy."

Hyde put his fingers to his eyes and rubbed hard, subconsciously trying to push it all away. "I wasn't happy." But beside him, Jackie's sobs only grew louder and more real by the second. It was her tears that he had been avoiding. Her pain. And this moment. But he forced himself to look over and watch her body shake in spite of his reservations. Watch her cry. "Jackie," he mumbled beneath his breath. And when she didn't respond, he reached over and grabbed her face hard, forcing her eyes on him. "I fucked up! Okay. I was wrong, Jackie. I was being selfish. But…" He licked his lips. "That whole time, the… I still loved you. I didn't stop."

"That is such a lie, Steven! You were sad when she left. But you didn't give a crap at all that we broke up. You couldn't have loved me."

Hyde grimaced. "Wait. Who told you I was sad?"

"Donna."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "I wasn't… sad. Man, I… I was embarrassed. Okay? I got duped by the dumbest chick on this planet, lost you because of it, and was divorced from a stripper at 20. I was making white trash parents everywhere proud." Feeling the discomfort of his embarrassment returning, Hyde rubbed the entire length his face. "I just… I figured everyone was thinking that I ended up exactly how they thought I would. A failure." He looked at Jackie. "Come on. What'd you want me to do, Jackie? Admit that I overreacted to something that didn't even happen, took off for Vegas and was stupid enough to get drunk and marry the first girl I saw at The Kitty Kat Club?"

Jackie's eyes clenched. "So what, just act like you meant to do it and hurt me rather than just admit that you screwed everything up."

Hyde nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

"That's not love."

"I told you I was a dick, Jackie."

"That's not an excuse, Steven!"

"I'm not saying it is! But I was. Okay? And I'm just telling you the way it happened. You wanted to know. But I can't fix it for you, Jackie. Ok, I just can't. I wish I could. But you're just gonna have to forgive me or this can't work." His frustration overwhelming him, Hyde growled and tensed up. "Fuck, Jackie. Doesn't it mean anything to you that five years later I'm still telling you I want to be with you?"

"Well… if you loved me, Steven, then why were you so mean to me all the time? Huh?"

Hyde scrunched his face. "Because. You were being mean to me."

"But you were being mean to me first!"

"How do you figure?"

"Because you just were!"

"So what?" He rationalized. "It didn't mean I didn't still like you."

Jackie's face fell flat into annoyance. "You said, 'I don't like you, Jackie."

"Well I was lying."

"You said, 'I'm not lying."

"God. How do you remember all this?"

"I remember every stupid word that's ever come out of your stupid mouth, Steven."

Hyde turned away and scratched at his cheek, returning with a grin. "Alright. Fine. You tell me something now."

Jackie eyed him suspiciously. "What?"

"Did you really like Fez?" he asked, his mouth slighted in disgust.

"Yes."

Hyde cringed. "Christ, Jackie."

"Don't you judge me, Steven," Jackie demanded. "He was nice to me. Unlike you."

Sickened, and actually a little jealous, Hyde scoffed. "Whatever."

"My turn now," she called and angled her head, smirking. "So… Did you ever think about me… like… before Halloween?"

Hyde drew in a dreaded breath. "Yes."

Excited, Jackie clapped and smiled. "Well…"

"Well what? I answered."

"Steven!" she scolded. "You're trying to tell me that you loved me, that you really didn't want that whore, but I'm not buying it. So you better start handing over some secret love poems you wrote for me or a hidden stash of my garbage that you rummaged for in your desperation to be near me if you want me to believe you. Something, Steven."

Hyde grimaced. "Well, I don't have anything like that. It wasn't like I was stalking you, Jackie."

"Well you should've been," she sneered. "If you really loved me. God. Did you even think about me at all, Steven? Or is everything you're saying right now just more of your crap so that you can get me back?"

Hyde rolled his eyes away. "I told you, yes. I thought about you." Jackie folded her arms and looked away. "God damn it, Jackie. Why are you… Crap! Fine! I had a girlfriend…"

Jackie shook her head, still unwilling to look him. "I'm thrilled for you, Steven."

"No, would you just shut your trap for one minute and listen." Jackie huffed at that, but pinched her lips together, allowing him to continue. "Thank you. Now what I was saying was that… I had a girlfriend, a… brunette girlfriend…" Jackie looked over at him, instantly intrigued. "And… she… sort of… might have… looked a little bit like you."

Jackie cocked her head to the side. "Huh?"

Already feeling like a moron, Hyde shrugged nonchalantly and looked away. "Yeah, so I kept her around. It was no big deal."

"Whoa! Wait…" Jackie leaned over, trying to confine his eyes again as she scowled inquisitively. "Just… Are you trying to tell me that you had a Jackie double?" Suddenly happy as a clam, she covered her mouth and smiled at his telling silence. "Oh my God," she squealed. "You did, you had a Jackie double!" Quickly, she dropped her hand, though, and her smile. "Wait, are you messing with me, Steven?"

"Why the hell would I make that up? And I swear to God, Jackie, if you tell anyone…"

Jackie laughed. "No. No. I wouldn't. Well… I won't if you tell me more about this girl." Having a thought, she scowled and pointed at him. "Ah! Just not too much, though."

"Look…Jackie." Hyde straightened his back, repositioning himself and hoping to quell the present conversation. "I'm not gonna pretend I was thinking about you the whole time. Okay? 'Cause I wasn't. I… I just wasn't. I got over it. And I'm happy with my life, too, exactly how it is. And… I'm happy with Jess," he admitted, shrugging at his own candor. "But…" He sighed, admitting defeat to her. "You're my girl. So… This is what I want. Us…you know, to be together."

Jackie smiled so hard that a few happy tears burned, even as she tried to stifle them away. "Did you just say I'm your girl?"

Hyde nodded.

"And you really still love me? After ALL this time."

He nodded again.

"Well… Where would this be going, Steven? You and me."

"I can't promise that it's gonna go anywhere, Jackie," Hyde admitted. "But… It could."

Jackie's face twisted. "Wait… So that's it?" she sneered. "It could."

"Well, what do you want me to say?"

Jackie scoffed. "I am not gonna tell you what to say here, Steven. You should just know." Incensed, she creased her eyebrows, utterly amazed at his silence. Obviously, he was clueless. That, or unwilling. "So… That's really it then? It could? You're serious?"

"Isn't that what you wanted? For me to say that it's possible that we could get married?"

"Yeah… Five years ago, Steven! Before you ran off and married a stripper instead of me!" Jackie huffed, completely indignant. "You can't just slip back right back into place like nothing happened. You've gotta earn me. I have someone who promised me that one day we will get married. And you're coming to me with 'I'll think about it?"

Hyde's jaw clenched. "Is that what this is _all_ about? Marriage? What the hell, Jackie. Just pick him then! He says everything you want anyway!"

"God!" Jackie pushed herself away from him and got off the bed in huff. She stormed over to the vanity chair and sat. "You know, for such a smart person, Steven, you're the biggest dumb ass I know. You never got it."

Proving her point, Hyde simply continued to frown at her outburst. And Jackie, in frustration, covered her face before looking up again.

"I wanted YOU to say those things, you idiot! I wanted YOU to want to marry me. And not because I want some stupid ring or… Well, ok, I want the ring. But it's because it means something. When you promise yourself to someone, Steven… it means something. And when you gave it to someone else—a stranger—and not me, that's what hurt." Years of righteous anger suddenly erupted out of her, violently escaping through tears and her breath and her bitter words. Jackie shot up from her seat and rushed over to him to smack him in the chest.

"You asshole!"

Hyde was stunned. He couldn't say a word and only stared at her, confused.

"It was supposed to be me! I'm the one who loved you! Not her! I'm the one cared that you meet your father, and that you had a nutritious lunch and that were told everyday how much you were loved… I cleaned your room, and I bought your clothes and rubbed your head when you were tired! It was me!" Done with her outburst, Jackie breathed again, keeping her eyes fixed on his. "You were supposed to be there for me. And you weren't." Subtly, her head moved. "You were the only one who ever protected me… and then you hated me… But I still loved you."

In front of her, Hyde sat silent, his heart bound tightly into a fist. It was what his guilt felt like. And it was painful, giving him the sense that he couldn't breath. Or didn't want to. He opened his mouth as she cried, but no words would come. What the hell do you say to that? How do you apologize for something so unforgivable, unless you're willing to accept the pain and inescapability of not being forgiven?

Hyde looked around himself briefly. It had been so long since he'd made those decisions against her, so long since that man even existed. He was long gone, and all that remained five years later was him, and her, and this stormy November night. And for once, he felt like it would be nice to feel cleansed. For once, it would be nice to cleanse her. After all, he was her defender. Still. And he knew it. It was why he had come running two years before. It was why he had done a lot of things for her. He was all she had protecting her since she was fifteen years old, and too many times, he abandoned her when she needed him most. Left her to fend alone.

Within the quietness of that bedroom, Hyde reached out and pulled her body toward him until her head feel upon his chest. "I'm sorry I left you alone."

Jackie burst into sobs and, for a moment, he panicked, but when he felt her body curl into his, he relaxed and wrapped his arms tighter around her. He waited as her tears gently tapered off. All during which, against his chest, her face nuzzled and rubbed, seeking a nook, a warm place, as deeply against him as she could find.

And she eventually found it against his heart and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry I left you alone, too…"

* * *

10:42 p.m.

"Mommy!" two children cried out happily, running with all their might, thrilled to see their mother after the last two days without her.

Falling to her knees, Brooke opened up her arms. "Hey!" she offered, accepting them both inside of a great, big hug. "How was Grandma's?"

Betsy smiled and stepped back. "Good! She let us stay up late and drink hot cocoa."

"Wif marshmallows," Bradley added excitedly.

Brooke's eyes widened. "No way."

They both nodded.

"Well that must have been fun… But guess what?"

"Huh?"

"You're home now. And it's after 10 o'clock. So guess what that means."

"Bedtime," both groaned.

"Yep. So go get your jammies on."

Donna laughed as they started to run by. "Hi, Auntie Donna."

"Hi! Hey… Where are my hugs?"

Standing in her kitchen, Brooke watched her children hug Donna and take off running past their grandmother, Kelso's mother. The older woman waited for the kids to disappear from sight and then looked at Brooke. "Michael called."

Shaking her head, Brooke abruptly walked away and headed back for the family room. "I don't care."

Donna cringed. "She's really upset, Mrs. Kelso."

"Well I don't blame her… My son…" Kelso's mother shook her head. "He really messed up this time."

The redhead nodded. "So where is he?"

Marie Kelso shook her head. "He wouldn't tell me. And it was quiet in the background. His father and I are hoping he calls back. But he told us what he did…"

In the next room, Brooke sat down on the couch and placed her shaking hand over her mouth. There were too many people here to cry and she just wanted them all to leave. But, at the same time, she knew it would be worse to be alone.

"Brooke," she heard Fez gently call, and looked over. "You don't have to cry. I've known Kelso for many years and if there's one thing I know about him, it's that you're the only girl he's knocked up that he'll ever love."

Brooke frowned. "Well… Thank you, Fez. But I don't wanna talk about him right now. Okay?" She was having a hard time keeping it together as it was. It was killing her not knowing where he was or who he was with. But she also knew that she couldn't take him back. And it made her angry at him. For ruining it. For ruining all their plans. They were going to buy a new car in the spring. They were going to honeymoon in the Bahamas after the wedding. They were going to get pregnant again. And they were going to grow old together and die on the same day. He'd promised.

"Brooke." Donna walked into the room. "She said she'll let us know if he calls again. She doesn't know where he is, though."

Brooke nodded and didn't even try to hide the sorrow on her face. "Okay. Um…"

Eric sat forward in his seat. "Brooke, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She stood up. "I'm gonna go tuck the kids in."

"I can tuck Betsy in for you," Donna offered. "I would do Bradley but…" She smiled weakly. "He never listens to me."

Brooke smiled. "Yeah. Could you? I'll go tuck Bradley in then…"

* * *

"So this girl, she really looked like me?" 

Hyde sighed, already aware that he was going to spend his life regretting that one, single confession. He knew her well enough to know that it was already working to inflate her already giant ego.

Jackie looked up with innocent eyes. "But she wasn't as pretty, huh?"

"Nope."

"Is that the only reason you liked her?" She made a pouty face in honor of her fallen duplicate. "Aww. Did you explain it to her… You know, how you feel about me?"

"Alright. That's it. I can't take this anymore… Come here." Hyde took her face between his hands and laid a fierce kiss on her mouth, pushing his tongue past her lips and over hers. He was grateful for it. For the first time ever. He was grateful for a simple kiss. One he didn't deserve. It was gratifying to earn something that felt so good. And to shut her the hell up for just one minute.

Quickly, though, their momentum grew, the friction heating into passion as their mouths moved eagerly in sync with one another. He was instantly aroused by her, wanting more. It had been, what seemed like, forever that he'd been waiting for her. Waiting to be inside her again.

But suddenly, Jackie pulled away and rubbed her lips together. "So… Was her hair as long as mine? Oh," She smiled. "What am I saying? It was perfect, huh? Because it was like mine." She nodded, sure of the answer, and pouted. "Aww. Would you have just dumped her otherwise?"

Hyde gave her an irritated look. "No. Now will you just forget what I said?"

Jackie smiled at his crankiness and rested her head back on his chest, silent for little less than a ten seconds. "Baby?"

"Huh?"

"Where are we gonna live? In the same apartments we have now?"

Hyde raised an eyebrow and smirked. And it was that quick. He guessed that meant that he had won her back. And just like that, she was his again. "Actually, I was thinking maybe I'd get a place up here. You know, for the both of us."

As she raised her head, Jackie's eyes widened. "You wanna live with me?"

"Yeah," he smiled back. "You wanna?"

"Oh my God. Steven! This is so exciting." As quickly as it had arrived, though, her excitement dwindled and she lowered her head back down to rest on his shoulder.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing… It's just… I guess it's just a lot to take in." She didn't want to tell him, but it was more than a lot. The seed of doubt was still growing inside her belly. She knew she wanted him. There was no doubt there. But whether or not this was a good thing was what worried her. Sadly, she didn't totally trust him. Not that he was lying, or that his intentions weren't good, she just didn't trust his nature. He couldn't help it sometimes. He was always breaking someone's heart. And now, he was about to break Jessica's, and Jackie wondered if she was a fool believing that it would end there.

Hearing a gentle groan, Jackie looked up and watched Hyde rub his temple and frown.

"What's the matter? Are you still feeling sick?" Pathetically, he nodded, and, in response, she gave a small patch of his shirt a few kisses. "Ohhh. My poor baby. Did you bring your medicine?"

"I have my pain pills."

"Do you want me to go get you some water?"

He nodded and she gave him a quick kiss before jumping off the bed…

* * *

10:56 p.m.

Jackie walked into the kitchen, noticing that the house had gone dark since she'd last seen it. In the family room still sat Eric and Fez, smiling and laughing at something on the television. But she didn't say a word; instead she grabbed some water for Hyde and took off back down the hallway back toward Brooke's bedroom.

She made it about halfway down the hall when she ran into Donna, who was coming out of Betsy's bedroom.

"So," the redhead asked. "What happened?"

Jackie smiled. "We're getting back together."

Lowering her head, Donna offered a gentle smile and nodded. "Okay." She looked up. "Just… Don't let him be a jerk to her about it, okay?" Her smile became a serious expression. "You, of all people, know how he can be."

Jackie nodded. "I know."

Suddenly, both heard a noise come from Bradley's room. A small child's giggle. And both couldn't help but smile. Curiosity got the best of them and they peeked inside…

Bradley smiled at his mother from beneath his covers. "Where's daddy? We have to do Kermie."

"Daddy… He…" Brooke fumbled her words. "He's working late, baby. He'll be home soon. But he would want you to go to sleep. Like a big boy."

But Bradley couldn't. He wasn't a big boy. He was not yet two and, fighting sleep, he rubbed his big, brown eyes. "I want daddy. We have to sing rainbow."

Brooke sighed. "I can sing rainbow, too, you know. I'm pretty good at it."

Her son smiled and waited as Brooke sunk down beside him, trying to remember Kelso's song. The one he sang to his son every night. And the movie that the father and son watched together at least once a day. She'd heard Kermit the Frog and the man she loved sing it a million times before. She had to remember.

"_Why…" _Choking on her sadness,Brooke inhaled deeply and forced herself to keep it together. And together, they sang._ "Why are there so many songs about rainbows? And what's on the other side? Rainbows are visions, but only illusions. And rainbows have nothing to hide…" _

Out in the hallway, Jackie and Donna looked at each other, both realizing that they felt the same. They hurt for their friend, one knowing exactly how she felt—broken—while the other could only imagine.

"_So we've been told and some choose to believe it. I know they're wrong, wait and see. Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers and me…"_

_-----_

Donna headed down the Kelso hallway, the opposite of Jackie, and turned the corner into the kitchen, where she found Eric digging through the fridge.

"Hey." She grabbed his hand.

He straightened up. "Hey."

Without an explanation for him, Donna simply slipped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "I love you… so much."

Eric smiled. "I love you, too…"

-----

"_Who said that every wish would be heard and answered? When wished on the morning star? Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it. And look what it's done so far…" _

_-----_

Fez sat alone, watching the Terminator, a rental of Kelso's that he'd been talking about all week. Truth be told, he was desperately worried for his friend. He didn't know where he was, or what he was doing, but he was in pain. He could feel it. And it was making him hurt, too.

Suddenly feeling very alone, Fez reached out and picked up the phone, dialing home. "Amy..."

-----

"_What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing? And what do we think we might see? Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers, and me…"_

_-----_

Jackie stood over Brooke's bed and smiled down at Hyde, taking the empty glass back from him and setting it down on the side table. She leaned down and kissed his lips. "It's gonna be better soon, angel."

Hyde nodded, his ears throbbing. "I hope so."

Beginning to feel tired, Jackie sat down and tucked her body against his. "I just don't wanna hurt him." Hyde simply looked at her, unable to offer the words she wanted to hear. That she wouldn't. That it would be all okay. He knew it wasn't going to be that simple. "He comes home tomorrow," she added, staring out of a sliding glass door at the end of the room. The rain hitting the streetlamps outside was causing a beautiful lightshow for her eyes. "I don't know what I'm gonna say, Steven."

Hyde sighed and tucked her head between his chin and shoulder. "Me either."

"Well let me go first," Jackie said. "I need time." She looked up. "You got time."

"Okay," he said and stared at her for a moment. Maybe it wasn't the time, or the place, but he suddenly needed to feel her, to confirm that she was really his, to connect. So without a sound, and with all the intention he had inside him, he stole her glossed lips…

-----

"_All of us under its spell. We know that it's probably magic..."_

-----

"_Have you been half asleep? And have you heard voices? I've heard them calling my name," _Brooke sang as Bradley fell out of tune with her, his eyes beginning to close.Softly, the young mother smiled and continued on. _"Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors? The voice might be one and the same…"_

_-----_

Kelso lowered his head and closed his eyes, gripping his beer in his hand. The music was so damn loud, and his head was pounding. But he was almost too drunk to notice. When he looked up, all he saw were people dancing and smiling and kissing one another. Not a single soul was not attached to another tonight. Except for his own. It all made him feel so far away from home. So detached from the breathing world.

"Hey."

Kelso looked up and scooted his chair back roughly, pointing. "You stay away from me! You ruined my life!"

Her name was Christie. He knew her name now. Knew her face too well. And despite the panic and anger in his eyes, the girl sat down in the chair beside his.

"Look. We need to talk. There's something you should know…"

-----

"_I've heard it too many times to ignore it. It's something that I'm s'posed to be…" _

Combing through her sleeping son's fine hair, Brooke finally let herself cry for her broken family, wishing to God to make this all go away soon.

"_Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers, and me…"_

To Be Continued…

* * *

**A/N2:** Please, please review. If I entertained you at all or did even just _something_ that you liked. Please just let me know. I would love to hear from all of you. 


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: Revolving Doors**

**A/N: **Thank you so much for the response to last chapter. It was a long conversation, I know, but I'm glad you all agree about its significance. Maybe it _was_ a little more than filler. Haha. Ok, so this chapter: This is where the rollercoaster begins to break the horizon of that first steep dip. It seems pretty straightforward, most of it is just two really long scenes again, but it's so, so not what it seems. Word to the wise: Never count a girl in love out…

**Songs:** 'Rosanna' by Toto and 'Woman in Love' by Barbara Streisand

**Rated M for Mature**, meaning it contains sex (you know, people fucking) and naughty, dirty words like COCK! So if you cannot handle such vulgarity, you might wanna beat it. LMAO. That was a pun.

This is dedicated to one of my reviewers… It was_ more_ smut you wanted, right?

Enjoy!

* * *

_Saturday Night_

_His eyes rising to the ceiling, Hyde reached up and waited as the t-shirt that Jessica had just washed for him moved slowly up his body, past his fingertips, and hit the floor. Against his bare back, the stony peaks of Jackie's breasts pressed, and he felt her hot breath fall against his ear. "Lay down on your tummy, baby." _

_Hyde's eyebrow arched as his eyes closed. He was exhausted, and his head felt swollen from the pain, but he couldn't pass up the willing brunette. The way she was touching him tonight, so sensual and affectionate, it was his only comfort from the aches; that, and the rhythmic sound of rain that poured outside. So, with little hesitation, he lay down, the same as she had asked, and groaned when her massaging hands pushed up the center of his back toward his neck. _

"_Oh, God, Jackie," he moaned slowly. A small smile broke through as he felt the weight of her body come down on his lower back, with only her cotton panties separating the warmth between her legs from his deprived flesh. Jackie began her massage, her palm smoothing once around his back in a counter-clockwise motion, while the other hand came around clockwise. And as Hyde soaked in the feeling, she laid her naked torso down along the length of his spine, her hair spilling over his shoulders and tickling his skin. As he reveled in this newest sensation, her mouth immediately fastened to the nape of his neck and began to suck, sending chills down each of his vertebrae. _

"_Oh, fuck." Hyde's lips parted and he turned his head, seeking the warmth of her tender mouth. Focused on nothing else, he twisted his entire body and rolled, digging his fingers into her hair as he took it hard. They both inhaled deeply, filling the room with their desire, and kissed for what seemed like hours while their bare chests mashed and rubbed together. And his hands, they roamed her smooth flesh, sliding down her sides with his thumbs deliberately passing over the soft edges of her breasts and down to the curves of her waist. _

_Needing relief, Hyde wrapped his arms around her tightly and forced her body down against his swollen, aching dick. "God," he growled. ""I need to fuck you right now, Jackie."_

_Jackie pulled away immediately; sitting up with a fire in her eyes as she desperately went for his belt buckle. "Me, too." Expertly, she unbuckled it and slid his pants down his legs, smoothing her hands back up his exposed skin upon her return to his lips. Their mouths connected again while she removed her panties and straddled his hips. _

"_The Percocet's gonna kick in," he reminded her. "Hurry." _

"_Okay." He extended his neck, reclaiming her lips the moment he felt her fingers wrap around his erection and slide over it several times. They broke apart, and as her mouth lingered tantalizingly near his, Jackie ran his engorged head between the lips of her waiting sex and slowly sunk down over the entire length of his shaft, moaning at the feeling. _

_Hyde shut his eyes and groaned at her vice-like grip on his cock. "God. Fuck, baby." _

_He opened his eyes to watch her, maintaining his hold on her hips as she sat up, exposing her pert breasts to the chilly air and the wavering glow from the night's storm. She was perfect, he realized, and her skin really was like porcelain, smooth and milky beneath his rough hands. He moved them to cup her breasts and lowered a nipple to his mouth, sucking it fervently as she began to move above him and moan her pleasure. As she set a nice pace, he returned his hands to her hips and chose to simply watch her. He enjoyed having her like this. She was in her own world, seeking her own pleasure. And when Jackie lowered herself down further, her hips grinding and rolling in rhythm with his breath, she began to whine, like it hurt. But he knew it didn't. He could feel her beginning to tremble inside. _

"_Oh, God. I'm gonna come, Steven," she whimpered and bucked herself harder onto his cock. Her movements were becoming clumsy and Hyde felt her inner walls grip him tighter. It took all of his concentration just to keep from losing it, too, as he steadied her hips and helped her fuck herself through the orgasm. _

_When her deep moans turned into heavy pants of recuperation, Jackie collapsed over his chest and put her head down. They lay like that for a minute, his dick still swollen and needy inside her. Hyde rolled them both over and sat up, lifting her hips and bringing them against himself. _

"_Fuck, you're so beautiful, Jackie," he rumbled, taking in the view of her outstretched body, spread out before him. Forsaking the gentleness of before, Hyde pushed his hands up and then down her sides, clenching the flesh on her hips roughly as he entered her again and began pounding into her without mercy. She came again, this time screaming out her orgasm. Hyde slapped his hand over her mouth quickly and, just five more strokes later, his cock erupted inside her. _

_Quickly, Hyde removed his hand. "God!" Jackie exhaled, throwing her head back and surprising him by wrapping her legs tightly around his hips to force him deeper still as she came down from her own orgasm. "God, Steven. Fuck!" _

_Trapped against her, Hyde leaned forward and placed more of his weight on his arms. He smiled down at her, amused at her outburst and feeling the sudden cloud of pain medication strike his brain. "We made it just in time."_

_Spent, Jackie returned a weak, but satisfied, laugh. "Ya-a-a-y…"_

**Sunday Morning**

**November 18, 1984**

**Kelso Residence**

**8:46 a.m.**

Hyde woke up grinning. The first thing on his conscious mind was the night before with Jackie. It was satisfying. God, more than satisfying. It was home, everything comfortable and warm that this world had to offer. And he got off like nobody's business.

Stretching his arms and yawning, Hyde turned and noticed that he was alone. No Jackie, nowhere in sight. She was probably off buying him a new wardrobe or picking out their china pattern. Even the idea of it made him roll his eyes and sigh. She was matured, beautifully grown, but still unbelievably pigheaded and still set in her annoying Jackie ways. Truth be told, though, it wasn't so bad. In the end, she made it worth it.

Hyde propped himself up on his elbow and looked around, taking note of the small bottle of glitter polish and the empty glass by the bed. Last he remembered, there was music coming from the record player, and he was falling asleep while, beside him, Jackie coated her fingernails with silver glitter, telling him about an expensive condominium complex that she knew of in North Milwaukee and all the things they could fill their new apartment with.

Still feeling groggy, Hyde figured to himself that she'd be back soon, sunk back into his pillow and closed his eyes.

"No. No. Come on, Steven. Wake up." Hyde opened his eyes again, but this time Jackie was standing over him with an affectionate smile. "Hi."

"Hey," he let out quietly.

"I have something for you."

It was then that he noticed that her hands were tucked deliberately behind her back. Immensely curious, he tilted his head, trying to catch a glimpse before he looked back up at her. "What is it?"

"Sit up and you'll see."

"It better not be another questionnaire about 'our love," Hyde grumbled as he sat up. "I'm done filling those damn things out, Jackie."

Lifting up the thick covers, Jackie scooted in beside him and rolled her eyes. "It's not."

"Well?" he pressed when she didn't supply the illusive object immediately.

"Hold on. First, promise me that you won't act like a big baby."

"Jackie," he warned. "Just show me."

She smiled broadly, "Ok," and presented him with a bottle full of bright pink goo and a shiny silver spoon.

Befuddled, Hyde grimaced. "What the hell's that?"

"It's your medicine." Completely ignoring the sneer of his upper lip, Jackie remained cheery as she removed the cap and poured the bubble gum smelling liquid onto the spoon. At the sight of it, Hyde pinched his lips together, turning his head as she came at him with the overflowing utensil. "Steven."

"What the hell is that?"

"It's antibiotics."

"Why is it pink?"

"It's for kids; it's the leftover from Bradley's ear infection last month. But it'll still work for you. I'll just give you a bigger does since you're such a _big boy_," she cooed teasingly.

"I'm fine," he groused, dodging the spoon. "I'll just go home and take…" Hyde's eyes widened and he shoved the covers back. "Fuck!" He jumped up and immediately began a search for his pants. "Where the fuck are my pants, Jackie?"

"Steven, what's the matter?"

"I fu…" He kept searching, finding them at the foot of the bed. "I forgot to call Jess and tell her I wasn't coming home." Jackie's breathing grew heavier as Hyde panicked before her eyes, his tone suddenly harsh as he dressed. "Where the hell is my shirt?!"

"On the chair," she uttered and closed her eyes. "What does it matter?"

"What?"

Jackie looked up. "What does it matter?!"

Hyde sighed and pulled on his shirt. "Because." He softened his tone, though, recognizing the wounded expression on her face. "I still don't want her to know _why_… okay?" They silently studied each other, Jackie willing herself to understand while Hyde waited for the outcome.

Breaking their stare, Jackie started to pour the antibiotics back into the bottle. "Fine."

"Wait," he blurted out and let his shoulders fall. "I'll take it."

Jackie smiled and held up the spoon as he walked over and leaned down, but pulled her hand back when he was close and offered her lips instead. "Take this first."

He took his kiss and then his medicine. "Thank you," he said, kissed her again and then grabbed her hand.

"Come on…"

-----

As Brooke set down two plates of food in front of her children, Donna smacked Eric in the arm with her spatula. "Stop eating the bacon."

"Ow. Alright! But bacon…It's just so good, Donna," he groaned.

"Well there are," She frowned and started to count, "One, two, three, four, five, six,_ seven_ other people here who like it, too. So hands off."

Suddenly, Fez ran into the kitchen happily. "They're coming. They're coming!"

"Together?" Donna asked excitedly.

"Yes. Both of them! Get ready."

With joyful smiles, Eric, Fez and Donna lined up and faced the entrance that Fez had just run in from, while, at the table, Brooke sat back and tried not to laugh.

Within seconds, Hyde and Jackie entered, hand in hand, both stopping to stare curiously at the impish grins on their friends' faces.

Fez blew an opening note on a harmonica and counted down. "1, 2, 3, 4…"

"_Reunited, and it feels so good,_" they sang facetiously, rocking in unison with each other. "_Reunited and we underst_…"

"Shut up!" Hyde demanded and walked through them, grabbing an empty plate. He threw most of the bacon on and a large spoonful of eggs before turning to Eric. "Hey. Did Jess call?"

Eric nodded."Twice."

"Crap. What'd you say?"

"I covered your ass, my friend," Eric stated proudly. But Hyde just stared at him, waiting. Eric smiled sarcastically. "And…You're welcome."

"Well what the hell did you _say_?" Hyde pressed.

"I said you weren't feeling good and that you fell asleep on the couch." Eric shrugged at the simplicity. "I told her I'd have you call in the morning."

"And she bought it?"

Nodding again, Eric began to make his own plate. "Yeah. She thought it was better," he said, licking the bacon grease from his thumb. "She didn't want you driving in the storm. She said she knew you didn't feel good."

"Wow." Donna raised her eyebrows and walked past him with her breakfast. "What a terrible girlfriend. It's a good thing you're dumping her."

Noticing the contrite expression on Hyde's face, Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Donna!"

"Sorry," the redhead offered immediately, taking a seat beside Betsy at the table. "I'm staying out of it."

"Well then STAY out of it," Jackie snarled, grabbing herself a warm blueberry muffin. "We made the decision together and it's nobody's business but ours." She gestured up at Hyde as she sat down across from Donna and next to Bradley's high chair. "Steven's gonna be a gentleman about it. Right?"

"Huh?" Hyde looked up at her, slowly snapping out of his pensive gaze. "Oh. Yeah."

Jackie smirked snottily at Donna. "See."

"Fine," Donna relented, taking a piece of toast from the center of the table. "I'm just tired of cleaning up Hyde's messes. That's all. They always come to _me_ for some freakin' reason, and now there's mascara stains on the shoulders of everything I own." Donna returned her friend's smirk as Hyde sat down, too, next to Eric. "Most of it from you."

"What?" Jackie cried out. "I haven't cried to you in years. Maybe you need a new wardrobe," she sneered. "Seriously, Donna. It's been long enough."

"Alright. Everyone just… shut up," Hyde interjected. "Jackie's right."

"See!" Jackie grinned smugly at Donna. "Even he thinks you need new clothes. And look at how he dresses."

"_No_." Hyde derided. "Not about that. About it being none of their business." He turned to Donna. "And Jess is gonna be fine. Alright? I'm not… I'll break it to her gently. _But_," he warned, his eyes and index finger panning around the table. "She is _not_ to know why I'm breaking up with her. Got it?" He shook his head and returned to his plate. "Man, she'd be crushed. She's so insecure about Jackie."

"Yeah, she is," Fez threw in. "A couple months ago I was telling her about that time I hid in the closet and watched Jackie and Hyde do it, and she threw a block of _cheese _at me!" Fez scoffed. "Talk about over-reacting."

"Fez," an appalled Brooke chimed in. "What is the _matter_ with you?"

He looked around, clueless. "What do you mean?"

Eric leaned forward. "I think she means, 'Fez, what the _hell_ is the matter with you?!"

"Yeah," Donna added, "And ew."

"Wait…" Jackie interrupted, shifting her attention back to Hyde. "She's insecure about _me_?"

Hyde shrugged and scooped a spoonful of eggs into his mouth. "Yeah. I don't know why."

"Gee." Donna made a face. "I can't _imagine_ why she would be."

Having to wholeheartedly agree, Brooke nodded. "Yeah, _hello_. We all heard you two last night." Hyde and Jackie's faces blanched. "And God, it sounds like she saw all of this coming. Poor thing."

"Poor thing?" Eyeing Brooke briefly, Jackie turned her head and smiled proudly at Hyde. "Aww. So why is she insecure?" She nodded, smiling and feeling that she understood. "Did you talk about me a lot?"

"_No_," Hyde grimaced. "I never did."

Her face burned into a scowl. "Well why not?"

"Because," Hyde retorted. "Why in the hell would I talk about…"

"_All I wanna do when I wake up in the morning is see your eyes… Brooke Spencer. Brooke Spencer."_

Eric straightened up in his seat and looked around nervously as the song 'Rosanna' wafted loudly through the house. "What the hell?"

"_I never thought that a girl like you could ever care for me. Brooke Spencer-er." _

Hyde looked up at him and scrunched his face. It sounded like it was coming from outside. "What the…"

"_All I wanna do in the middle of the evening is hold you tight… Brooke Spencer! Brooke Spencer!"_

"It's daddy!" Betsy shouted out happily and jumped off of her chair, taking off for the front door. And as Bradley fought to climb out of his high chair, Brooke pointed at her fleeing daughter. "Stop her!"

_"I didn't know you were looking for more than I could ever be!"_

"Why?" Jackie asked while everyone else chased young Betsy down and went to find the source of the music.

"_Not quite three days since she went away. Brooke Spencer, yeah."_

"Because! Just… Someone stop her!" In the meantime, the taller brunette kept her son from falling onto his face from three feet up. "Bradbear, stop. Finish your breakfast, baby."

"_Now she's gone and I have to say…" _

"Daddy!" the toddler screamed, growing frustrated that he couldn't follow the sound of his father's voice and his overjoyed sister, along with everyone else. Almost immediately, he began to cry and twist angrily in his seat. "I want my daddy!" Brooke sat down and covered her eyes, nearly in tears.

"God. I can't take this anymore!"

"_Meet you all the way. Meet you all the way. Brooke Spencer, yeah…"_

Jackie, the only remaining adult left with her, sat down. "Brooke. Relax. What is the matter? Why can't they just see Michael?"

"Because I don't want them to know what's happening."

"Brooke, they were gonna figure it out eventually," Jackie reasoned.

_"Meet you all the way. Meet you all the way. Brooke Spencer, yeah."_

"God, just go out there and tell him to go away." Overwhelmed, Brooke sighed and looked up at her friend. "He called last night," she admitted. "Really late. But he was drunk so I hung up on him."

"Brooke," Jackie scooted closer. "Maybe you should just go talk to him," she suggested instead. "It was a long time ago. And I know how it feels to be cheated on. It hurts. Bad. I know that. But you have kids together and I know he loves you."

_"I can see your face still shining through the window on the other side. Brooke Spencer. Brooke Spencer."_

Up in the front of the house, Hyde opened the front door as Donna scooped up Betsy and carried her squirming body to her room. "Get Bradley," she told Fez.

Eric and Hyde looked at each other and then back at the front lawn, where Kelso, unshaven and unkempt, stood with a boom box in his arms, singing his drunken heart out.

_"I didn't know that a girl like you could make me feel so sad. Brooke Spencer-er... All I wanna take is..." _He continued to sing, only stopping when his friends stepped out of his house with no Brooke in sight. "Where's Brooke?" he slurred to Hyde. "I need to talk to her, man. Go get her."

"Kelso," Hyde frowned, taking notice of the physical condition his friend was currently in. "Man, what the hell are you doing? Are you drunk?"

"No… Okay yes," Kelso confessed pointlessly. "But you guys gotta help me. Please…"

"Kelso," Eric began. "Man, you gotta sober up first. You're not gonna get anywhere with her drunk."

"But I need to tell her something." At the expressions on his friends' faces, Kelso frowned defensively. "She loves me. You guys have no clue, man. How we are." He set down the boom box and started to pace. "Man, I can't lose her. I'm nothing without that chick, man. And I need my kids."

Hyde dropped his shoulders. "Kelso…"

"No," the taller man interrupted, desperate tears brightening his eyes. "Those people in there, Hyde, my family, they're the only ones who look at me like I'm something, man. Like I'm smart. Like they love me. And, you know what, I love them."

"Dude, you don't think we know that?" Eric asked him. "All we're saying is that Brooke's pissed and you're only gonna make it worse if she sees you drunk."

"That girl followed me last night," Kelso confessed randomly. "I saw her again."

Hyde sighed. "Fuck, Kelso."

"Shut up, Hyde. This is all your fault anyway!"

"Whatever," Hyde responded with. "I didn't stick your dick inside that girl, Kelso! You did."

Kelso shook his head. "Whatever, man. Just help me…" He glanced up and saw Brooke standing at the front door with Jackie and abruptly pushed past his friends. "Brooke! Baby!"

"Hyde!" Brooke pointed and stepped back. "Get him out of here before I call the cops!"

Kelso help up his arms as he approached. "What? You can't call the cops on me. I _am_ the cops!"

"Get out of here, Michael," Brooke demanded as she backed into the house. She held her hand solidly on the door. "You're drunk. And I already told you we're through. The wedding's off."

"What?" he exclaimed as she slammed the door shut. "Brooke! BROOKE!"

"Kelso, come on," Eric stepped in front of him and worked to turn him around. "Come on. Turn around. Let's get outta here for now. She'll calm down. Just give her time."

"Fuck, man," Kelso stepped up and grabbed Hyde by the shoulders as he started to cry, holding onto his friend to support his weight. "What am I gonna do?" He shook his head. "I wanna die, man. I can't live without her."

Hyde sighed, deflating where he stood. "Come… Come on, man. It's gonna be alright. Okay?" As Kelso hugged onto him and sobbed, Hyde patted his friend awkwardly and gave Eric an uncomfortable glance. "Alright. I guess… Crap. You can come stay with me."

Kelso stepped back and smiled. "You serious, man?"

Hesitantly, Hyde nodded. "Yeah."

-----

Inside, Jackie stared at a tearful Brooke with a stunned expression. "Brooke. What are you doing? Just talk to him."

"I can't." Brooke sat down against the entryway wall. "I just…can't."

"Why not?"

"I just keep seeing him with that girl… I keep seeing it."

"Brooke, you've gotta stop that. That…" Jackie knelt in front of her friend and exhaled all the breath in her lungs. "Look. I know. Okay? I used to do that, too," she recalled forlornly. "It'll start to go away eventually, though. The image. I promise."

"I hope so," Brooke sulked. "I really, really hope so…"

-----

Hyde put Kelso in the el Camino's passenger side and shut the door. And then he and Eric shared a wretchedly abject look. "Man, now I gotta deal with this crap now, too," Hyde asked Eric rhetorically. "A crying Kelso?"

"Well…" Eric placed a hand on Hyde's arm. "Just look at it this way: now you won't have to beat Jessica off with a stick. Kelso will be there sobbing and ruining the mood."

"Yeah." Hyde took a deep breath. "Watch Kelso, man. I gotta go talk to Jackie."

Eric agreed, and as Hyde stepped up onto the porch, Jackie stepped out of the house. "Hey," he breathed out as she closed the door.

Jackie didn't say a word. She simply moved up close to him and rested her head on his chest, sinking in as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Where are you going?" she asked nearly a minute later.

"Back home. Kelso's gonna stay with me."

Jackie looked up, renewed images of Jessica springing into her thoughts. "I change my mind," she told him. "I want you to go first. Break up with her right when you get home."

"No," he responded flatly.

Jackie straightened herself up, shocked and quite pissed."What do you mean '_No_'?"

Hyde shook his head thoughtfully. "Just like I said. No, Jackie. You keep changing your damn mind. Every day you want something different."

"Steven…" Jackie said through clenched teeth. "You're the one who…"

"No," Hyde cut in. "You break up with him and call me. I'll break up with her that second. I swear. But I'm not doing anything until I hear from you."

"No way," Jackie scoffed. "Cause it's gonna take me a few days and, in the meantime, Miss _Kissy Pants_ is gonna be all over you."

"No, she won't," he assured her. "Kelso's gonna be there. And…" Jackie looked away. "Hey! I promise, alright? Look at me." Crossly, she looked at him. "I swear to God," he finished. "I won't touch her. I don't' care how upset she gets. Okay? I'm with you. Just you." Hyde stopped and looked at her expectantly. "Well…What about you?"

"What about me?" she responded irately.

"Well what the hell are you gonna do when Colin gets home?" His voice was rising as he grew aggravated. "He's been gone for almost three weeks, Jackie. Don't you think he's gonna walk in and expect some stuff? I would!"

"Yeah, but… I'm… I'm not gonna do anything, Steven!"

"And how do you plan to explain that away for a couple of days, Jackie? Huh?" He waited but got no response. "Exactly. Just break up with him the second he walks in. And then call me. I'll just say you called for Kelso. It's perfect. And then I'll break it off with her. And that's it." Fairly impressed with his plan, Hyde grinned. "And then you can come over."

Jackie smiled meekly and nodded. "But…"

"What's the hell's the problem, Jackie?" Hyde asked, growing impatient with her indecisiveness.

"I just don't know what I'm gonna say."

"Man, say whatever it takes. But…" It was hard for him to release the words that wanted to come. He would sound like a hypocrite, but at this moment, he was beginning to care less and less if he did or not. The thought of Colin touching her, anyone touching her, was making his stomach crawl up his chest and into his throat. The image had him seeing red. "Jackie. You can't…" He shook his head as his breathing grew labored. "I don't want him touching you," he demanded.

Jackie watched his blue eyes plead with her subtly. There was anger there, and obstinacy, but insecurity and worry, too, hidden just beneath his surface. "He's not going to, Steven. I won't let him." Even as the words fell from her lips, she didn't believe them. She knew already that she would greet her boyfriend with a kiss and a hug and _then_ try her hardest to separate from him emotionally over the next few days. It was the only way. There were no other options. She and Colin were too close to just kick him out with no explanation the very minute he walked in from such a long trip. It was too cruel a thing to do, even after everything she'd already done to him. She knew he had missed her. She knew that he loved her. And although she was certain that she loved Hyde, she was positive that she loved Colin. He had done nothing wrong. He had done little else but make her smile and laugh and feel good from the moment he walked into her life. His only shortcoming, she realized, was that he didn't churn her heart into an excited swarm of butterflies upon contact, not the way the man currently scowling at her did.

And that was all.

Jackie reached up and touched Hyde's troubled face. "Trust me. Okay," she nearly whispered. "I'm gonna break up with him." Hyde opened his mouth, but she spoke first. "And… I'm not going to do anything with him. I'm yours now." Gently, she stroked his cheeks. "Come here, Steven." Closing her eyes, Jackie rose on her toes and gave him a slow, sensual kiss, not yielding until his body relaxed against hers.

She pulled away and licked her lips nervously. "I'll call you in a few days. I need that time, Steven. I need to break it to him slowly." Her eyes pleaded with him. "He's been good to me."

Hyde's jaw tensed up again as he watched her, his hands balling into fists. He wanted to tell her she was full of shit and out of her fucking mind if she thought he was going to wait for her while she played house with Colin. But he knew—He wasn't stupid—that he had no choices anymore. He'd fucked those up a long time ago.

"Steven."

Hyde looked away edgily and pressed his lips together, trying to keep from blowing up. "Fine," he muttered. His heart was wound into a knot. He didn't like it. But what could he do? He closed his eyes; his head was beginning to pound again. "I'll talk to you later then." He moved to turn around.

"Steven. Wait," Jackie grabbed him. "No. We're not leaving it like this," she asserted with glistening eyes. "Please. 'Cause then I'm gonna be all worried. Don't do that to me."

"You don't have to worry. I already told you I'm not gonna do anything with her."

"And I believe you. I have to, remember? Or this can't work." Hyde's eyes softened at the recollection. "I want _you_," she reminded him. "I want this to be all over just as badly as you do so we don't have to sneak around anymore. Okay? But I'm not going to be mean to him just to get it done quicker. Please don't make me do that," she beseeched him. "I love you. God, Steven. I'm just realizing how much."

Releasing his tension out in one thick breath, Hyde closed his eyes. "Alright." He swallowed and, a few moments later, after soaking in the sight of her beautiful, yet worried, face, he smiled at her. "Okay. Just…Promise me that you'll do it as quick as you can."

"I will," Jackie smiled in relief. "Now tell me you love me again," she pouted, pulling him toward her.

But he hesitated as usual. It was habit. From years of cowering at that expression. Years before, it came so easily, the excuses not to have to say it, the ones that would get girls off his back about it. But this time, strangely, it all seemed so asinine. Even with Jess, he had been beginning to question his reasons for being so stingy with those words. All in all, he was becoming aware that his prudence had gotten him nowhere.

As he faltered, disappointment washed over Jackie's face and she looked away. Quickly, Hyde placed his hands on her hips. "Hey… I love you," he affirmed tentatively and watched her smile.

"I love you, too."

He smiled weakly. "I have to go, though. I need to get the moron sobered up."

Jackie nodded and leaned in for a fleeting kiss. "Bye," she muttered to herself when he turned away and headed back down the driveway. "Be good…"

* * *

Ten Hours Later

Point Place, Wisconsin

Hyde's Apartment

All watching TV together, Hyde, Jessica and Kelso all bowled over in laughter. "Oh my God!" Hyde chortled and rubbed his eyes. "Oh, fuck. This guy's a nut, man."

Jessica nodded and, out of nowhere, snorted; she was laughing so hard. As Hyde and Kelso laughed and pointed at her, she covered her mouth and nearly collapsed in her joviality. "Shut up!" she cried out and dropped her body against Hyde's as he continued to laugh with her.

"Man, she snorted," Kelso chuckled. "That's awesome."

Eventually, the merriment died down and Hyde was left with Jessica's head in his lap. She was watching TV with Kelso, unaware that she was being studied and memorized as she giggled. Gently, Hyde ran a piece of her hair between his fingers. It looked blonder tonight, and he wondered if she had dyed it in her boredom the night before. But he dare not ask. He only watched. This sweet girl had been the first since Jackie to really make him feel wanted and loved in that certain way. She had been incredible. And before he realized it, she was looking up at him, smiling. He smiled back. She puckered her lips. And he puckered back, bringing the smile back to her face. She had no idea that she was as close as she would ever get again.

Hyde made a silent apology to his girlfriend and watched her naive eyes return to the TV. Though it would hurt, he was ready to say his goodbye. But his forethought kept him waiting for Jackie to go first. And suddenly, he wondered, what she was doing now and whether she alone…

* * *

The Same Time

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Jackie's Apartment

_Life is a moment in space  
When the dreams are gone  
It's a lonelier place_

The house was nearly dark, the lights dimmed so much that even the candlelight glowed brighter from the four corners of the living room. The music, 'Woman in Love', wafted warmly through each empty space, but all that breathed here sat lonely in the center of the couch.

Jackie's hair was long and down, her lips glossed lightly and her make-up natural.

She didn't want to seem too eager.

Though, the candles were probably sending the wrong message, she supposed and shifted in her seat, glancing around the flickering room.

_We kiss the morning goodbye  
but down inside  
you know we never know why_

It was just what she always did for him after a long trip. She would clean the house spotless, dim the lights, and make it eternally warm for his arrival. She would feed him, and talk to him, and massage him and make love to him until he fell unconscious. And in her arms, he would finally rest after weeks of meetings and assholes in business suits who demanded perfection from him in the middle of a concrete jungle. He would finally sleep. And it was what she had wanted. She had wanted this to be the place he fell upon when the world was being cruel. She had wanted to be the person he fell upon, and she was, but now, or at least over the next few days, she would become as hard, and as cold to him, as that concrete jungle. She was going to have to will herself to do it, but tonight, he would have the warmth and the rest he would need for the days ahead.

Jackie swore it to herself as tears threatened her eyes, but something held them back. She felt numb, if it was possible to 'feel' numb. She felt beyond tears. Jackie placed her hand over her mouth and shut her eyes, fighting the sting. She felt like a monster. But she felt free at the same time. Like the world above her had just opened up and revealed to her an open night sky full of possibilities. It was returning old dreams and taking the newer ones as payment. It was the price she had to pay, and she could already feel the burn of indebtedness. Being home, with the lights down, the candles burning, and Colin on his way, her mind was beginning to return home to him. And the thought of giving this up, giving him away, hurt like fucking hell.

_The road is narrow and long  
when eyes meet eyes  
and the feeling is strong_

"Oh my God," she whispered beneath her breath and gingerly wiped the one tear that got away so not to smear her eyeliner. She took a deep, almost rehearsed, breath and tried to place Hyde in front of her. Closing her eyes, she kissed him, and held him, and listened for the things he had whispered in her ear, the things he had promised. She tried to hold onto the feeling, and wrap herself inside the love he had sworn was there for her. It was all there was. His promises. So much was resting on them. And now they seemed so inadequate. But the look in his blue eyes the night he'd asked her to be his again, the way he had held her in that warm shower on that cold, cold night, and the little things he had done that showed her that he was alive again, she had to remember.

_I turn away from the wall.  
I stumble and fall  
but I give you it all..._

_(October 31, 1984)_

"_Hyde, you might have to carry me soon," she had squealed out happily as she stumbled into him, tripped up by something in the dark. "I can't see anything!"_

"_Hey. I think it's just a little bit further." Even more clueless and intoxicated than his hapless date, Hyde grabbed a hold of Jackie's hand and pulled her in the direction of what he thought was the exit. When he seemed to realize that it was just another macabre cage scene, he made an about-face. "Damn it. I think we're lost."_

"_Uh-oh," Jackie snickered, hiding behind him as a dark figure menacingly approached. "You can't get me," she yelled out. "He'll protect me! He'll kick your ass!" As the figure ignored her taunts, and continued forward toward them, she began to whine softly, pressing herself further into Hyde's back. "Hyde, I don't like this. What are we gonna do?" _

_Still focused on his previous concern, Hyde looked around. "Not sure. Unless…" Seemingly struck with an idea, Hyde had turned and pulled his drunken bracelet buddy into another crevice, yanking her tightly, but playfully, against himself. "We could… finish what we started earlier… in the last maze."_

_Blinded by the darkness, Jackie could only feel his impish smirk. "Steven, you're being…" She giggled. "What's the word? Frisky, tonight. Hey…I'll bet Jen…Je…Wait, what's your girlfriend's name again?"_

"_Come on, Jackie. You know her name. It's Jack… I mean…Crap. It's Jessica. But, wait, I call her something else… Oh, Jess. It's easier to say when I'm fucked up." Hyde let out a drunken chuckle and nuzzled his face into her neck. "Like right now."_

_Jackie's smile faded as all of his warmest parts came into contact with hers. "Well, I'll bet she…" Suddenly, his tongue made contact with her skin, making her swallow nervously. "…doesn't let you kiss other girls in tiny, dark spaces… I know I wouldn't if you were my boyfriend," she nearly whispered into his ear, now that his lips were making little patterns on her skin, his hot breath tickling and distracting all of her most rational thoughts. God, she had thought to herself, he still knew how to use his mouth. "I wouldn't…Oh God." She threw her head back and hugged his head. "…let you out of my sight."_

"_You wouldn't?" he asked aimlessly and brought his lips not even an inch from her mouth. _

"_No…" Jackie closed her eyes and waited for his kiss. _

_  
"GRRRR!"_

"_AH!!" Hyde yelled out, startled as Jackie screamed and panicked, too, shoving her palm into the dressed-up intruder's nose and causing him to yelp out loudly in pain._

"_Oh my God!" she shouted and covered her mouth. "Oh my God!" _

_Hyde began to laugh. "Jackie, what the hell'd you do?"_

"_This isn't funny, Steven!"_

"_Maybe not for him," Hyde snickered._

"_Just get me out of here!" Just then the ominous, yet hurting, figure must have grabbed Hyde's ankle, because he suddenly kicked his leg out fiercely. _

"_Man, get off me!" she had heard him shout, and, after hopping over the guy, Hyde turned back and offered his hand, assisting Jackie in walking across the now groaning body. He never let her even stumble as he pulled her across their obstacle and, eventually, out of the maze. _

_Quite proud of his exploring skills, Hyde swaggered out of the exit and grinned at his date. "Well that wasn't so bad. Two mazes down and two to go."_

"_I'm so glad you're my bracelet buddy tonight, Hyde," Jackie cooed, hooking her arm through his and resting her head on his shoulder as they walked briskly. "You're like… my knight in shining concert tee."_

_His amused expression found her. "I didn't do anything. You're the one who punched him. I just helped you across so you wouldn't fall."_

_Jackie smiled, vindicating him. "Exactly…"_

_I am a woman in love  
and I'll do anything  
to get you into my world  
and hold you within…_

A moment later, Jackie heard a jingle, and a light slam, and her heart jumped in her chest. As she turned her head toward the front door, she got to her feet, watching as the knob jiggled and moved. His key was inside. He was right there on the other side of that door. He was home. And suddenly, the handle turned, the door opened, and Jackie's eyes widened at the sight of him. He looked exhausted, his dark hair wet and his skin glistening from the rain, but he was smiling.

"Hey," was all he could get out.

Jackie smiled. "Oh, baby," she breathed outward and rushed toward him, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging his head. She felt his arms clamp around her body and hug her close, making her eyes shut at the incredible feeling. She was beginning to remember the things she never should have forgotten, like his scent. So clean, but rustic, like a man. And the precise thickness of his body. She couldn't help but notice the differences. He was taller than Hyde, by a couple of inches and she had to rise a little more on her toes. He was thicker, too. Or maybe it was his coat.

"God, baby, I missed you," she heard him breathe while sensations flooded back, and she felt his head turn, insistent and distressed as he seized her lips and kissed her deeply. The desire to stop him, to push him away as she had promised fell away and was replaced with a new desire. It was just to taste him once more, make him feel loved tonight, to say goodbye, to memorize these last bits of him, and she couldn't stop if she wanted to anyway. His kisses were infectious, especially the deep ones, and his mouth tasted so sweet. God. But a few fervent kisses in, she pulled away and placed her hands on his chest, lowering her head as she recovered.

"So, um, how was your trip?"

Colin smiled curiously. "It was just alright," he answered and leaned toward her again, set and focused on her lips. He'd missed them. And he caught them again, picking her up this time and wrapping her legs around his waist. A growl accompanied his kiss. "God, Jackie. I've been waiting for this."

"Wait…Wait." Moving her head, Jackie squirmed down. "I wanna talk. I wanna know how your trip was."

He appeared hurt briefly, but seemed to accept it as he glanced around the apartment and sighed. "Okay. Let me just gets my bags." Quickly, he snuck another kiss and headed back out the door. "It's okay, right?" he asked upon his return, carrying a suitcase and a duffel bag. "If I stay here." He smirked playfully.

Jackie swallowed. "Of course."

Colin shut the door, immediately taking notice of her body language and her behavior. She was acting strange. Usually, she screamed like a banshee at his arrivals and kissed him until he couldn't breathe. "What's the matter?" he asked her and stepped closer, watching her step back and trip over the edge of her couch, falling onto it.

"I…I…Nothing." She crossed her legs awkwardly and tried to placate him with a fake grin. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Colin frowned and looked around again. It all _seemed_ normal. He returned his eyes to her. "Jackie. What's going on? You're acting weird."

"Me?" Jackie feigned a horrible sounding laugh. "I'm not weird."

He tilted his head, more confused than before. "I didn't say you _were_ weird, baby. I said you're acting weird."

"Oh. Well…I'm just tired. And I think I ate a bad burrito."

"Alright." Colin walked over to the couch sat down beside her, observing the way she leaned away from him unwilling to even look at him. "Jackie."

"Huh?"

"What, are you still mad about that bar? I didn't stay that long. And I tried to call you but you didn't answer."

Jackie looked over. He was scowling, trying not to be pissed at her behavior. After all, he had just gotten home and probably wasn't up for it, but he was feeling her rejection, and she couldn't bear the look on his face anymore. He had expected to come home and find her, the girl he had left behind, to be waiting here, having missed him the way he missed her. But that girl was being gagged unfairly into silence, so Jackie let her loose for the time being.

She sighed. "I'm sorry, baby." Rising to her knees, she pushed her body at him in a hug. "I'm being terrible, huh?"

"Well what's wrong?" he muttered, his scowl remaining as she climbed onto his lap and straddled him against the side of the couch. Both had a foot on the floor, giving Jackie the leverage she needed to scoot in hard up against him.

She placed her hands behind his ears. "Nothing. I promise," she whispered and placed her lips gently on his, making his eyes close and his tensed muscles relax. She gave him the warm comfort of her tongue again, but softer this time, whimpering as he drew her hips flush against him.

"I want you so bad, Jackie. You have no idea."

"I know…baby. But we can't."

Colin drew his head back. "What? No. What are you talking about?"

"I'm on my period," she fibbed. "We can't."

He shook his head insistently and smiled. "No. God, Jackie. You can't do this to me. I don't care. I don't give a shit about your period."

Jackie panicked, having underestimated his pent up desire. The look in his eyes was one of horror. Like she had just killed his childhood puppy. "No…But…"

"Oh, come on, Jackie," he pushed. "You can't… You can't be serious."

"I am… I can't."

"Oh, God, damn it," he groaned, forcing her body down on his erection. "You've gotta give me something here, baby," he laughed. "Please. It's been over two weeks."

"I know. I'm…I…But…Please. I can't…"

Colin sighed and collapsed back against the couch. "It's okay." Jackie watched him swallow his desire down and try to fight it away. She pouted slightly. He looked like he was in pain. And she wanted so badly to make it go away for him. Just tonight maybe. And for a moment, she considered it. Hyde would never even know. And it wouldn't mean anything. It was just sex, plain and simple. And just then, Colin looked up with his faded green eyes, his lips looking like they needed something, his breathing still not yet slowed. But he was fighting it. He was trying. "It doesn't matter. As long as you're here," he muttered.

Something, maybe it was his words, or the look of want in his eyes, but _something_ made her lean forward and lessen his pain with a kiss, a kiss that grew heated and wet and extremely dangerous. It tasted too good. "God." Breaking from him, Jackie looked up and sought redemption from the ceiling as she hugged his head to her chest. His lips and tongue were all over her exposed skin and the muscles in his arms were taut, hugging her tightly and grinding her body's core into his hardened lap. "No," she whined quietly and closed her eyes. It all felt so good and passionate. His current longing for her was exactly the thing she had craved from men her whole life. That need that feels like you might die if it doesn't get met. She could feel it ground into his touch and the strength of his kisses.

"Oh, fuck," Colin groaned against her flesh and looked up, searching again for her mouth. Jackie looked down and couldn't help but smile. He looked so sweet, so drowsy from desire, and so in love. He blinked and closed his mouth, willing to be patient for her, for the moment anyway. Her eyes were dancing pensively between his as her fingers traced down the edge of his jaw.

"I do love you," she said quietly to him. "You're so good to me." His mouth moved briefly, like he was imagining, but that was it. Besides that, only his engagingly round eyes stared back. It wasn't until another few seconds passed that his lips parted again.

"Because I love you."

Jackie smiled. "I know you do, baby." She cupped his cheeks as her smile brightened. "And oh, I want you to keep your job. Okay? Don't quit it for me."

"Jackie…"

"No. I mean it. You can't quit. You love that job. And you're so good at it."

"Jackie," Colin said again. "I already quit. I told Dave to go fuck himself." He cringed. "I'm finished there."

"Wait. What?" Jackie sat back. "No. No, Colin, you need to go back. You need to get your job back right now!"

"Jackie. I can't just get my job back."

"Colin!"

He watched her, saw in her eyes that she was serious. "Jackie…"

"No." She got up from the couch and placed her hand on her forehead, beginning to pace. "You'll just have to go back tomorrow and tell Dave you're sorry."

Colin stood up. "No way. Fuck that, Jackie. I'm not groveling to that asshole." He grabbed her hand. "What the hell is going on with you? First you're pissed at me that I hadn't quit yet and now that I did, you're pissed again?"

"Yes!"

Growing irate, Colin dropped her hand. "Jackie…" His teeth clenched as he fought through his anger. "I just quit my fucking job for you. Don't…"

"Well you shouldn't have!" she shouted.

"God, damn it!" Colin exploded out. "Don't you do this shit to me, Jackie. This isn't a fucking game."

"I never said it was."

Blowing out a frustrated breath, Colin sat down and placed his head in his hands. "Fuck!" He closed his eyes, unaware that his girlfriend stood before him, fighting back tears as she set up their fall. She felt twisted up inside, like her heart was breaking, clenching so painfully that she just wanted to run away, but she stayed instead. She hadn't meant to do this tonight and she wanted it to stop. She wasn't ready.

"I'm sorry," Jackie cried, and as she sat down on the couch, horrified with herself, Colin looked up, his eyes glazed with confusion and shock. He looked around. The room appeared as if she had been waiting for him, but the girl on the couch wasn't her. He had been gone so long, been so far away from home, and he had just wanted to feel her love tonight, to shun the world away and hide beneath the covers with her for just one night. He had missed her face and her smile and even the terrible way she frowned at ugly people on the street. He missed every little molecule that formed her. But this wasn't her, and he wasn't home. Not yet.

Colin stood up and inhaled deeply. "I'll call you tomorrow."

Jackie's head rose to see that he was nearly to the door. "Wait," she called out. "Where are you going?"

"Home," he answered callously, not even looking back.

"No!" She jumped up from her seat. "Wait! No. No. Don't go."

Colin shook his head and turned around, looking suddenly detached, but he didn't offer her a word of comfort as she cried in front of him. "Colin."

"What?"

Jackie closed her eyes, sifting through her thoughts. He was angry at her, really angry, and disappointed, and she was torn between just letting him go, breaking up with him now while the mood was right, or going through with her original plan. The words played in her head for the first option, the response, the image of him walking out to never return again, and the idea that someday he would meet someone new and fall in love. The decision was easy. She just wasn't ready for that yet, and she couldn't end it like this, with him being greeted by this cold welcome.

"Just…please don't go." Jackie swallowed and cringed through the bitter pain in her chest and in her back muscles. "Stay here. We'll just go to sleep and…we'll talk about it in the morning." She looked at him pleadingly. "Okay?"

Colin deflated. He wasn't sure what was going on with her but he knew that he was exhausted and didn't want to be an asshole to her.

"Yeah. Okay," he said listlessly, and when Jackie stepped forward and took his hand, he didn't put up a fight like she thought he might. He simply let her guide him around the room to each candle. She blew them out, one by one, and eventually led him into her room.

She tried to memorize everything there was to know about him in these final hours. The shapes that created him, the feel of his hand in hers and the memories that she didn't want to forget. Suddenly, she frowned, trying to recall the exact details of their first time together. She smiled to herself. It was summer, a Tuesday night after a day at the beach, and he had been so gentle with her.

Jackie reached the bed and turned around to look up at this man whose mild accent had once made her melt into a puddle. Without saying a word, she began to undress him for bed, removing his shirt first as he stood quietly. In a world where men only caused pain, he had arrived to show her that they weren't all hopeless, that some still knew how to treat women like gold without having to compromise their masculinity. To her, that was the makings of a real man. It was the thing that Hyde had lost five year before, the very thing that he had gotten back, the thing that made him whole again.

Continuing, and pushing Hyde from her mind, Jackie unbuckled Colin's belt and watched him remove his pants in silence. At the sight of his ivory skin, an expanse she had kissed every inch of, Jackie stepped forward and placed her forehead to his chest, running her palms down his sides. She gave his flesh a gentle kiss and looked up, not saying a word as he brought his fingers to the buttons of her blouse, his eyes seeking permission. Her silence coaxed his hands further until they slipped her blouse off her shoulders and let it hit the floor.

Again, she said not a word when he unbuttoned her pants and dropped them down her legs to the floor. She stepped out from the pile and, together, they stood, barely dressed while Colin soaked in the view. His hands immediately found her bare hips, his eyes appeared pained by the sight of her and he pulled her closer.

"Colin," Jackie finally spoke, gently. "Can we just lie together? Please"

His face flattened dejectedly. Maybe, she supposed, he realized what was happening between them, maybe his heart was breaking apart the way hers was, or maybe he sensed that she was no longer his, but, like a gentleman, he nodded still, and smiled. "Yeah..."

* * *

11:34 p.m.

Hyde's world stopped cold when his girlfriend glanced back at him demurely and smiled. She really was beautiful, and his hand was locked tightly inside hers. They were joined as she led his hesitant body down the dark hallway to his bedroom.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

"Jess..."

"Shh," the excited blonde hushed and laughed. "Stop asking so many questions, Steven." Jessica didn't bother flipping on the light when they reached the confines of the master bedroom. She simply shut the door and let go of his hand, trapping him against the wall.

"Hey," she called softly, pressing her chest against his.

Hyde gulped uneasily. "Hey. Um. You know, we could watch TV or something."

Immediately, Jessica smiled. "Steven," she giggled, amused by what she thought was just his silliness. He _had_ gotten high with Kelso a few hours prior. "Baby. When did you turn into such a prude?"

By the light of the bathroom, Hyde could see that she was teasing him, trying to make him smile as she bit back her bottom lip and slipped her arms up over his shoulders. She was about to kiss him, and part of him wanted her to, so that he could kiss her back and ease her mind, just a little, just for the night. Jackie would never know. But he would, he supposed. So when his girlfriend reached up and pressed her lips to his, he didn't pucker. Instead, he tried to recall his plan for the next few days, but, as she smoothed her incredibly soft lips over his, he suddenly couldn't remember anything anymore. She was too much to deny, and when her mouth opened, he had to force his head away, deciding that he would just have to deal with the consequences.

At his gesture, Jessica's smile faded away, replaced quickly by confusion and hurt. "Steven."

He hadn't meant for it, but his face twisted with revulsion. "I'm…I don't want to right now," he muttered.

"You don't want to _what_?" Jessica watched him, studying and taking in all of his cues. His body was pinched uncomfortably against the wall, his head turned away. Like she was a leper. Like he was disgusted by the sight of her. And her heart plummeted far away from its home in her chest. This wasn't him. "Steven." Her voice wavered.

He wouldn't look at her; he only blinked and then closed his eyes.

Jessica brought her body closer to his and leaned in again to test him, and, again, he dodged her. "What's…" She tilted her head to try and catch his eyes. "Steven, look at me," she demanded, but he didn't; he only let his eyes fall to the floor, which worried her more. She had thought maybe his strange behavior had been due to his ear infection. He was just sick, she had told herself naively. But this was something else. He had been fine all day, until now, when she was trying to get close to him, to be intimate. Just like the other night. And suddenly, she felt lost. "Why won't you look at me? Steven?"

Hyde finally looked up and made eye contact. "What?"

Jessica inhaled deeply, noticing the emptiness in his eyes, and, at the same time, the regret. "Baby, what's going on?"

"Nothing," he mumbled inanely.

"Then why won't you kiss me?"

"Because…" Hyde gulped in some much needed air. "It's…Kelso's in the house."

Jessica grimaced and looked around the room. "So? He's asleep. It's not like he'll hear us."

"It's Kelso, man. He's probably listening right now!" She didn't respond, though, only frowned, and Hyde was growing frustrated with his own discomfort. "Look," he added. "Maybe… You know, while Kelso's staying here…Maybe you should just stay at your place."

"Why can't I just stay here?"

"Because!" he snapped, making her balk. "You know how Kelso is. He's almost as bad as Fez."

"What?" Jessica nearly laughed. "No, he is not! Are you crazy? Fez is a complete pervert. Kelso's not like that."

Blowing out a his breath in aggravation, Hyde shut his eyes, reminding himself of the things he'd promised, that he wouldn't turn into a cold bastard, even though he knew it would be so much easier.

"Is this about Jackie?"

Hyde's eyes snapped open. "What?"

"It is, huh?" Jessica asked forcefully, tilting her head at the fear in his eyes. "You thought she cheated with Kelso. And now, what, you think the same thing's gonna happen with me?" Suddenly she smiled, appearing relieved as she narrowed the space between them. "Baby, I…"

Hyde sneered and blocked her advance. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Like her first one had, Jessica's smile wilted. "Well then what's going on with you, Steven? Why are you acting like I disgust you," she choked out. "You won't kiss me. You won't touch me. I've been home for three days and we haven't even had sex." She grabbed the fingers of his left hand. "What's the matter? Just tell me."

Hyde sighed. "Look, alright. I just think you should start staying at your own place. We're…You're always over here."

"What the hell are you talking about?" she exclaimed. "You just asked me to move in here!"

"Yeah, well that was before. Now I…I just need my own space."

Jessica's chin quivered as she pursed her lips. It was finally soaking in. It was slow in coming, but it was seeping into her mind now, that things were much worse than she could have even imagined. A self-preserving fog rolled over her as she questioned him sternly. "You mean… You need space away from me."

"Yeah," he nearly whispered, his guilt showing. "Something like that."

Silently indignant, Jessica shook her head. The fog had completely settled, and her breath left her. She moved her gaze to the empty space between them, trying to corral her chaotic thoughts.

It was then that Hyde consciously fought to avoid her eyes at all cost. She was starting to cry a little, and her face had contorted into that look that he hated. He never understood it. How women let the pain rest on their expressions like that, like it was rushing out of them, pouring out of their skin and eyes. It always succeeded in making him feel worse than he already did. "I was gone for two weeks," she muttered softly.

"Yeah, well…" Hyde swallowed. "I guess it wasn't long enough." That was when he made the mistake of looking at her. He was curious about her reaction. She wasn't yelling, or arguing back, like she typically would. She was just there, silent, and bursting with hurt from the inside out as she squeezed her eyes shut and began to shake.

Blinking away slowly, Hyde licked his lips and scraped them with his teeth, feeling like a monster. He had passed the point of no return, though, so it was all or nothing. "I'm sorry, Jess."

"You didn't miss me, did you?" she whimpered, never looking up as she asked him the question, but, as if she knew the answer, she started to cry again, far before his lips even parted.

He could tell her the truth and say yes, or he could lie and cut her loose. "No," he settled on. "I guess I didn't." Startling him, she began to weep, whining softly like a child as she accepted the words on her own. It wasn't like she could do anything about it, he knew, and it wasn't as if she could take back time. She would just have to endure it. But, he also knew that in all his relationships, even his one with Jackie, this had been his greatest achievement by far, the one he had been proud of, the girl he had not yet destroyed. But, for some reason, it, too, had gotten away from him.

He couldn't take away her pain, but he could expedite it and hope it took mercy on her soon. "We're done, Jess."

Her body stilling, Jessica looked up at him. Her eyes stunned. The world around her head was whirling, moving so fast that she couldn't keep up. There were a million questions to ask but her throat was closing in on her. This wasn't happening. And he didn't just say that, because the thought of living without him was unbearable. "But…" Her breathing was choppy and the tears would not stop streaming. The words, they just wouldn't come. She couldn't make sense of it. The feeling. She had never felt this way before in her life—so desperate for another human being. "Please…" She shook her head. "No."

"Yes."

"You can't be breaking up with me."

Hyde drew in more oxygen. He wanted to stop it. He wasn't ready, and, obviously, neither was she. But he couldn't halt the momentum. "Well, I am."

"Why?" Suddenly, her life force seemed to catch up with her and Jessica shook her head fiercly. Something hit her. "No. No. Steven." Her hands clutched his shirt as her eyes widened and dried slightly. There was hope inside. Enough to bring the words to her mouth. "I'm sorry I left. I shouldn't have…Look, baby, I won't leave again…Okay, I promise…"

"Jess. It's not that."

"No, but I'm gonna stay," she continued, her tone distressed as she started to cry again at the lack of affection coming from his body. He was so rigid. "I'm not gonna move to Chicago. So everything's gonna be fine. You don't have to move. I'll stay here with you."

"Jessica!" Hyde peeled her hands from his shirt and pushed them away. "Just stop, okay! It's over."

Her frustration was showing, finally, and her persistence, as she stepped forward again and cuffed her arms around his waist. "Look," she said, trying even harder to control her emotions, trying to be rational and soothing. "You're just…You're having a rough time…Alright. The store and Leo and…I should have been here. I know that. And I'm so sorry, baby." Now sobbing, Jessica pressed her head to his chest. "I'll do whatever you want. Just please stop." Her insides felt like they were being crushed. He wouldn't hug her back. "You're hurting me, Steven. Please."

"Jess…" Hyde forced in all the air around him while he tried to move her clinging body. "Jess…God damn it!" In his desperation to get her away—not because he was genuinely repulsed, but because he was seconds from giving in—Hyde shoved her backwards and held her in place. Keeping a firm grip on her arms, he looked her hard in the eyes. She just wasn't getting it. Or she didn't want to. "It's over, Jessica," he asserted forcefully. "I don't wanna be with you anymore."

"God. Why are you doing this?!" The anger finally arrived. "Huh? What the hell is the matter with you?! You just told me you loved me and now you wanna break up? We were FINE!"

Hyde shook his head and launched a confused scowl. "I never told you that."

"Yes, you did," she reaffirmed. "And it was_ so_ nice to finally hear." She got a little closer and he pushed her back into place again. "Why can't we just talk ab…"

"No, I didn't," he insisted firmly, turning his frustration into a renewed, but unwelcome, energy. She was too desperate. Too in love. She wasn't screaming, or bitching, or making cruel, callous remarks. She was just fighting for him and making it fucking impossible to finish her off. "We're done! Okay?" he exploded, falling back on what he had learned worked best, desperate to end the game. "Just fucking face it, Jess! I don't want you anymore!"

By the looks of her, he might as well have pierced her chest with a sword. Her eyes clenched shut. "God!" she screamed out. "What the hell happened to you?!" She opened her drenched, mascara-smeared, eyes and shook her head. "You are such a fucking asshole!"

"Good!" he forced out. "Now get your crap and get the hell out!"

He watched his callous words strike her. She even flinched like they were tangible weapons. She had felt their punch, but barely moved and only cried harder as she looked around the dark bedroom they had spent so much time in, like she was searching for something, something that just wasn't there anymore.

Hyde watched her stagger a little, just wishing she go already and save herself from his cruelty, because it was coming, he could feel it rising. This girl was too sensitive and so unprepared for this side of him. She had no idea the things he was capable of. He had sheltered her from it, only to use it against her in the end. And the longer she stayed, the more he would have to inflict upon her. "Just go, Jess," he said coldly. "I don't want you here anymore."

She looked down and shook her head, sobbing. "But I love you so much," she whimpered.

Hyde shut his eyes briefly. He loved her, too, he was realizing, but it wasn't enough to give her what she wanted. And he tried to stop them, tried to block the words, but they just came. They were his final blow. He knew how they hurt, knew exactly what they would do. They would crush her heart, and all her hopes, and all the things that were keeping her here with him.

Hyde lowered his head. "Well I don't love you," he said gently and turned his eyes up to her broken expression. "I never did."

He watched her freeze inside of a sob and then gasp it all out. She wouldn't look at him anymore, though, and he was grateful. He wasn't even sure if she was breathing anymore, but she'd heard him, and she'd apparently had as much as she could take. Finally.

Hyde remained quiet while she cried, and appearing lost, stepped back and turned. Where her anger was, and all her usual vibrancy, he had no idea, but he planted his feet to the carpet. The desire to comfort her and tell her he was lying wanted to overwhelm him, but the truth would be no better. I love you but I love her more? I want you but I want her more? She deserved better than that. Both girls did. They deserved better than him.

Hyde looked down, letting his body wither against the wall shamefully as Jessica hesitated for a brief moment, deciding whether or not to speak, and then numbly walked out without saying a word. And when she finally disappeared from view, Hyde shook his head. A month before, he would have never been able to even imagine it. She had been his best friend in this last year, his comfort, and his life, and now she was gone. And all he could do was hope that he had made the right decision.

In his time on this earth, he had always chosen the path of least resistance, the easier road to survey, but tonight he had chosen the path that led to what he wanted most, difficult journey or not, and only time would tell if his sacrifice had been worth it.

Accepting his decision, Hyde turned solemnly to the door and swallowed it all down. "Later, babe." There was no turning back now…

* * *

**Monday**

**November 19, 1984**

**1:26 a.m.**

It was nearing upon the dead of night and neither had slept a wink. The conversation had begun the same as any other. A question here. An answer there. But soon, he had her forgetting her previous concerns and discomforts. Instead, she was laughing and talking with her head resting on his chest, like in the days before.

Slapping his arm, Jackie's mouth opened wide into an astonished smile. "You did not say that."

"I did," Colin muttered and yawned.

"Oh," she cooed, watching him. "You're so sleepy."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry, baby."

The corner of his mouth rose into a slight smile. "Why?"

"Because I kept you up."

His eyelids wavered, closing drowsily and then opening again. "It's okay."

Jackie smiled adoringly; watching as his eyes finally lost their battle against the night and closed for good. He must have been exhausted, and so frustrated, but he wouldn't show it. Not tonight. "I love you, Colin," she whispered, lowering her gaze disgracefully at the thought of what she had done to him. How she had betrayed him and, now, how she was supposed to betray him again.

"I love you, too," he managed quietly and, within a few moments, finally succumbed completely to sleep.

Following her instincts, Jackie snuggled into him—he was so warm—and closed her own eyes. She hadn't expected him to feel so good, for it to be _this_ hard. But at least the day was over, and at least, she still had a few days to think about things. After all, it wasn't as if anything irrevocable had happened. It wasn't like there was no turning back…

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

**A/N2:** The flashback, for those of you who haven't suffered through season 8, was in reference to something mean Hyde did to her in that season. Boo, Season 8 Hyde!! Boo on you! Okay, ladies and germs, I hurried to get this out to you, so as my reward, would you _please_ review? Pretty Please. With a naked Mila or Danny on top. :D 


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: A Band of Gold**

**A/N: **Wow. Thanks for those reviews! Ok, so it's all going to start getting a bit hard from here. And, naturally, you're not gonna like what's going on all the time, but this is my story and I will not be swayed from the course I have chosen, so please do not even try it. Hehe.

And I'm getting really sad, you guys, by all these "I hate Jackie" reactions. I know she's frustrating sometimes, but just please try to keep in mind what he (what they) did to her. Of course Hyde is willing to bend for her; she never burned him. She didn't bring home a whore and prance the skanky bitch around. He did, while he treated Jackie like shit, no less. So please, let's just give the girl a little leeway here. I hate to think that _she_ should have be the one to instantly compromise. That if she does it, it's expected, but if he does it, he's a God. Well, no. I don't buy that. She compromised for him for a _long_ time and look where it got her. Of course she's going to be wary. So let's stop all the hatin', ok? Hehe. And in the meantime, please try not to kill me…

**Music: **Band of Gold by Freda Payne (first scene)

* * *

_**Spring, 1979**_

Now that you're gone  
All that's left is a band of gold

_It was the spring of 1979 and Jacquelyn Burkhart bent artfully over the hood of her boyfriend's el Camino, letting the muscles along her back elongate and give her the shape she was searching for: ass out, lower back arched, breasts thrust forward, all locked beautifully as she tossed her head back and ran her fingers through her hair. The heels she had worn today toned and lengthened her tanned legs, stretching the time it took the soapy water to stream down her thighs and finally hit the cement below._

All that's left of the dreams I hold  
Is a band of gold  
And the memories of what love could be  
If you were still here with me…

_Monitoring her target, Jackie peeked through her hair over at Hyde, who sat mesmerized in a lawn chair nearby. "Steven, toss me that other sponge." She waited, but his eyes never left her body. "Steven!"_

_He looked up. "Huh?"_

"_Sponge."_

"_Oh." Returning his eyes to her new bikini, Hyde threw her one of the sponges beside him as a perplexed Eric walked up. _

"_What the…" His jaw practically hit the driveway floor. He looked down at his friend, who was still smiling stupidly at the show and then back up at Jackie. _

_Eric smiled, patting Hyde on the shoulder. "Man, you're my new hero."_

_Hyde smirked. "I AM good."_

"_How in the hell did you get her to do that?"_

_Never taking his eyes off his bikini-clad girlfriend, Hyde smiled and shrugged. "She just agreed, man."_

"_Amazing," Eric complimented him, shaking his head in fascinated disbelief. Hyde simply nodded in response. "So how did you…" _

"_Shh," Hyde hushed him, slightly aggravated at the interruption, and tipped his head appreciatively at Jackie. "She's dancing, man."_

_Jackie stifled a smile, trying to pretend like she couldn't hear their entire conversation. _

_Eric nodded and glanced down suspiciously at his blinded-by-lust friend. "So…How did you get her to agree?"_

"_She said she'd wash my car in her bikini if I agree to do something with her."_

"_Agree to do what?"_

"_Who cares, man," Hyde spat, gesturing at the view. "Hot chick. Carwash. Bikini. Shh!"_

_Eric waited briefly while Hyde bounced his head to music, in complete awe of his girl, smiling when she smiled, his eyes moving when she moved. "So, but what is it you have to do?" Eric ventured to ask again._

"_I don't know yet," Hyde responded, his eyes still on his brunette prize. "But how bad could it be, man? She said it has the word 'ball' in it." He grinned at the possibilities._

"_Yeah, but aren't you just a little curious at what it might…"_

"_Man, will you shut up already! You're ruining the show," Hyde snapped angrily but quickly perked up, his eyes widening in excitement. "Oh. Oh. She's cleaning the windshield now." Fed up with conversing, it seemed, he waved off his friend; the gesture turning aggressive as Jackie glanced over with raised eyebrows. "Man. Get the hell outta here, Forman! You're blowing her mood!"_

_From five years away, Jackie smiled to herself. She remembered winking at Hyde as Eric walked toward Donna's house, shaking his head. Soon after, she had begun moving her body again, amused by the way Hyde's head rocked along with her movements, his clouded over brain having no idea that in five hours he would be in a suit, ballroom dancing with twelve other couples and a male instructor named Velveteen. _

_In the meantime, though, she had made it worth his while and continued to wash, giving him a little bonus as she squeezed the soapy sponge onto her chest. _

"_Oops," she said with feigned coyness._

_Hyde smiled wide. "Oh-ho-ho. Nice, baby…"_

Since you've been gone  
All that's left is a band of gold…

**Monday**

**November 19, 1984**

**7:57 a.m.**

**Jackie's Apartment**

_All that's left of the dreams I hold  
I__s a band of gold  
And the dream of what love could be  
If you were still here with me…_

Considering her life's precarious situation, Jackie still had a little dance in her. Happily, she scooted in rhythm toward the fridge and pulled out a jug of orange juice. The house was quiet this morning, other than the radio, and she had gotten dressed in peace, and also in complete denial. Each minute was a gift, her mind told her. One more painless hour after the next would arrive, though, and bring her closer to that inevitable end. But she didn't want to think about that right now. Something had to give at some point. Yes. And one of them would hate her sooner or later. True. But _later_ was _always_ better than _now_.

Jackie pulled a glass from her cupboard and filled it halfway with juice. Taking a drink, she closed her eyes and thought about a possible distant future, her usual brand of daydream. Who could she see, she wondered and squeezed her eyes shut…

"Hey," a voice from behind her rang out as strong arms cuffed her upper body. Her back rested against someone safe and worthy. He represented a present, and future, that, at one point, she had given up on. A normal relationship. There was security in his arms, but in _her_ mind, there was Hyde. Her past. One, too, that she had given up on. One thing was for sure, if she were to continue like this, marred by blinders and living in the moment, she would be safe and comfortable forever.

In the next moment, though, Jackie felt her hair get swept to the side by Colin as he nibbled and kissed her neck. Or, she thought tenaciously, she could step away, rip off her blinders and face the storm that was Hyde head on. No security. No shelter. Just risk it all. And feel the invigoration.

And that, that choice, was her predicament on this gray Monday morning.

What to do.

"Why are you up so early?" Colin whispered into her skin.

"I have to work."

"Come on." With a devilish grin, Colin spun her around and placed his hands on the counter on either side of her, giving her a kiss before moving his mouth down her jaw and to her neck. "Call out."

"I can't."

"Mm. Don't you have vacation? Or sick time or something?"

Jackie paused, recalling what she had done with her last week of vacation and all of her sick time. And now, the morning's first lie was in order. "Well yeah, but I can't use it 'cause..." She scratched her ear and cringed, trying to think. "Because… Kevin… You know…" A nervous laughed escaped as his breath and kisses tickled her throat. It felt _so_ good, though. "He's… He has this thing… and… I have to be there… You know, 'cause he…" She pushed Colin back gently, sighing. "It's really important."

"Jackie…"

"I would, baby," she said regretfully. "But I can't."

He looked down, disappointed, but nodded anyway. "Yeah, okay."

Jackie watched him carefully, her heart breaking at the incredible virtue in his green eyes. His mind was searching for something, though, something big. Tilting her head, she smiled and wondered what, causing him to look up.

"What?" he asked.

Jackie's smile grew. "It's just weird having you home, I guess." Her smile fell a little. "I'm not used to it."

"Look," he started. "I'm not stupid, alright? I can tell you're not that happy to see me."

Frantically, Jackie shook her head. "No. Colin, I never said that I wasn't…"

"Just, wait…" He put up his hand. "It's fine, Jackie. I get it." She watched him search again; he was so easy to read usually, but not today. "But I'm not going to leave anymore, alright, and I'm going to make it up to you. I swear."

"No," Jackie continued to shake her head. "Baby. You don't need to make anything up to me."

Colin didn't appear to be listening, though. His thoughts had already transitioned onto something else. "Hey, um…" Watching the floor musingly, he put his hand to the back of his neck and frowned. "Don't make any plans for Wednesday night, okay?" He looked up and lowered his arm. "I want to take you somewhere."

"Where?"

He smiled and waggled his eyebrows once. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Jackie asked, cocking her head inquisitively.

"Because it's a surprise."

Jackie clapped her hands together, her eyes widening in excited suspense. "A surprise?!"

Relieved by her reaction, Colin nodded. "Yeah, so be ready." Slipping his fingers deep into her hair, he kissed her tenderly and spoke softly against her lips. "Wednesday night. Don't forget…"

* * *

Hyde's Apartment

9:37 a.m.

His eyes snapping open, Hyde entered consciousness with his body wound up tightly inside several sheets. A scowl scanned the room but he did not move, mostly because he had a glaring headache and had quickly realized that he had not taken his medication. There was no busybody with painted fingernails forcing it down his throat during the night. No comforting hand to rub his back to sleep. No sweet voice whispering things to make him forget. Both girls were absent this morning, one thinking of him, he was sure, the other, waking up next to someone else. Both thoughts bothered him. Both made this morning horrid.

He'd felt sick the moment Jessica had walked out, and had crawled into bed, falling asleep almost immediately. And ten hours later, he still felt sick about it. She was blameless, the gentlest person he had ever encountered and he'd crushed her with little hesitation. And now, the pain in her eyes still burned bright in his mind.

Detangling himself, Hyde sat up and kicked free of his wraps. He sat at the edge of his bed, planting his feet to the floor, and put his head in his hands to think. He couldn't rest until he fixed things with Jessica. He would have to find a way to settle her mind, to return the lies without compromising his motives. And Jackie. He shook his head and rubbed his tired eyes. He didn't even want to think about her today. His curiosity, and unsympathetic imagination, were chipping away at his sanity.

Pushing the image of both girls away, Hyde stood and walked out of his bedroom, finding Kelso on his couch with a bowl of cereal, watching the Smurfs.

"Hey," Hyde called out as he passed him and headed for the kitchen.

"Man, Hyde," Kelso shook his head happily. "You've got a cool pad. It's just like my place. It's clean, there's cable and there's food everywhere!"

"Huh," Hyde let out confusedly, opening his packed-to-capacity refrigerator. He glanced around at all the food. "Jess must've bought all this when I was sick." He pulled the milk out and closed the door, heading straight for the counter where his pain pills and antibiotics sat.

Kelso looked over, a sudden scowl of concern on his face as Hyde swallowed down his medication. "Yeah, hey, what happened last night with her? She walked out of here crying." Having a thought, he gasped. "Man, did you tell her about Jackie?"

"Hell, no," Hyde sneered from the kitchen. He looked down to grab a spoon from the silverware drawer. "I broke up with her, though."

"Well she made me feel bad, man," Kelso replied sadly, returning his gaze to the television screen.

Hyde looked up. "Why, what'd she say?"

"Nothing. She just looked how I feel," he admitted glumly. "And plus, I don't like to see chicks cry, man. It just makes me wanna comfort them physically and that's how I got in the mess I'm in."

His lips pursing, Hyde threw the milk cap at him. "Man, will you just shut up and…" Grabbing the cereal box from the countertop, he noticed that it felt light and shook it before looking inside. He came up with a threatening glare for his friend. "All my Coco Puffs, Kelso?!"

"What?! They're good, man, and it's a small box!" It was becoming obvious to Hyde, too, as his friend suddenly offered a dreamy smile, that he was high. "Oh, she bought Lucky Charms, too. Jessica kicks ass and takes names at the grocery store."

Hyde arched an eyebrow and let his irritation dissolve. "Yeah, well she's not here anymore so don't get too comfortable." He poured himself some Lucky Charms and sat down beside his friend. "Hey. Remind me to pay Jess back for the groceries."

"Okay," Kelso smiled, leaving it at that as they watched TV together and ate. A few minutes later, Hyde's guest pointed at the screen. "What I wanna know is…Who's making all the baby Smurfs? 'Cause Smurfette's the only chick and that just means she's the village whore."

Grimacing, Hyde nodded and looked over. "Hey, man, gimme some of whatever you've got. 'Cause I'm watching the same show and I totally missed that."

Kelso agreed, pulling from his pocket a half-smoked joint and handing it to his friend.

"So," Kelso said as Hyde lit it. "Where's Jackie?"

Hyde waited. "Home," he finally responded, blowing out his smoke.

"Is Colin home yet?"

"I guess. She didn't call so," he shrugged.

"So does she know you broke up with Jess?"

"No," Hyde responded, clearing his throat. "Not yet. I was supposed to wait for her to break up with _him_ first, but…" He shrugged. "It just sucked lying to Jess, so I ended it."

"Man," Kelso frowned, giving his friend a curious look. "Aren't you just a little bit bummed, though? I mean, you liked her."

Hyde drew in a deep breath. "Yeah, but…" He shifted uncomfortably. "You know."

Kelso nodded, understanding. "Jackie."

"Yeah. So that's why you can't stay long," Hyde explained. "We're gonna be getting a place together. I just gotta figure out a way to get her to agree to Leo moving in."

Kelso frowned. "Leo?"

"Yeah. He's gonna get out of the hospital soon and he's got nowhere to go. I can't find Theo and the store's gone, so…" Hyde shrugged and took another hit. "I'm all he's got, man."

"Yeah, well good luck getting Jackie to agree to that."

"Man, she will. I'm just gonna have agree to some stuff probably," Hyde laughed, letting his frown fall quickly. "Oh God, that's gonna suck."

They were quiet a moment, both pondering and thinking about their own consequences before Kelso frowned. "So…Jackie's home with Colin right now? And, technically, they're still together?"

"Yeah," Hyde answered bitterly, turning a dangerous glare on his friend. "So?"

"And you're not worried, man?"

"No. Why? Should I be?"

Kelso laughed mockingly. "I'm just saying, dude." He snatched the joint from Hyde's hand and took a hit. "Colin's a good-lookin' guy. Almost as good-lookin' as me."

"So?"

"Well so he's pretty cool, too."

"So what are you trying to say, man?" Hyde turned in his seat and faced Kelso, an angry affect worrying his face. "Just spit it out!"

"I'm just saying that he's good-looking, and really cool, and has a really great job. Oh, and his dad's got a boat. It's awesome! It's got this…"

"Well so what," Hyde bit back. "I've got things, too."

"_What_… man?" After seeing the stalled expression on his friend's face, Kelso looked down. "Look all I'm saying, Hyde, is that Colin wants to marry her, and have kids and all that stuff. He's got plans… What do _you_ have?"

Hyde stared at his friend dumbly, having no comeback, no answer to his aberrantly smart question. Taking it all in, he turned forward again and thought about it. What _did_ he have? Jackie had asked him what his plans were for them and all he had to offer was the idea of moving in together. He had no job. No store. Not much money. No awesome boat. No real plans. Only an old hippy and the love in his heart.

Now bummed, Hyde looked over and took the joint back irritably. "Gimme that…"

* * *

Jackie's Work

1:34 p.m.

Kevin sat back, stunned clear out of his mind, and held out his hands. "I don't even know what to say."

Jackie's lips puckered. "Well you better think of something before I kick you."

"If you kick me, I'm kicking your scrawny little ass, girl or not."

The brunette narrowed her eyes and sat back, folding her arms. "Ughhh. Like it even matters with you."

"Don't take this out on me," her friend mock-warned. "You got yourself in this shit."

Jackie sat straight again and pointed. "It just happened, okay! I didn't choose for any of this to happen."

"Bullshit," Kevin returned. "You knew exactly what you were doing, and _now_ you've got to make a decision."

"Well who would you choose?" Jackie cringed.

Kevin scrunched his face, figuring it was obvious. "Uh…Hello! Who do you think?" he sneered. "Colin… This 'Steven' person already had his chance."

Jackie groaned. "But he's changed so much… I mean, don't you think it's kind of romantic? Even just a little?" She smiled, bringing her hand to her heart. "We loved each other but we were too young and kept screwing up and broke each other's hearts. But now we're grown," she explained earnestly. "And he still loves me, Kevin. He said he never stopped. That he was a mess when we broke up and that's why he acted the way he did."

Kevin looked up to the ceiling. "I know. You told me all this, but…"

"I still love him, Kevin," Jackie pouted.

Her friend sighed. "Fine! Okay. It's a _little_ bit romantic," he conceded reluctantly. "But…so isn't Colin." Kevin knitted his eyebrows, ready to plead the Irishman's case. "He loves you so much, Jackie. It's so obvious. And he's not gonna hurt you. This… _thing_, with Steven…What you're feeling…Those butterflies…Don't you think we all get them, Jackie? It's because he's new to you again. And yes, it feels good. But that feeling fades. And then what's left?"

Jackie looked down broodingly. "Well…He…" She had asked him—in his most sincere moment—what his plan for their future was and he still, all these years later, couldn't even be sure there was one.

"I know you, Jackie," her friend and co-worker continued. "Like a fucking book." He leaned forward and spoke gently. "Is he gonna wanna get married some day? Does he want kids? I mean, if he does, and you _really_ love him, then…I say go with your heart, sweetie. But just promise me that you'll figure out what it is that _you_ want before you give in to either of them."

Jackie looked up. "What **I** want?"

"Yeah. _You._ Jacquelyn Burkhart. And no one else," he affirmed. "This decision…You'll have to live with it the rest of your life." Having to get back to work, Kevin stood up, taking one of the mints from Jackie's bowl as the brunette turned her pensive gaze to the troll doll that sat, nearly forgotten, on her desk—the very one she had given Hyde years before. "It's your future."

The pajama-clad green-haired troll—aged and faded—smiled dutifully at Jackie as her friend sauntered away_. This is the first day of the rest of your life._

Jackie exhaled, deflating into her seat."Damn it…"

* * *

Jackie's Apartment

That Evening

5:26 p.m.

Kelso raised his fist, on the verge of knocking, before he had a thought and turned around. He frowned at Hyde. "Wait. You're not gonna tell him, are ya?"

Hyde grimaced. "No."

"Well, are you gonna be nice?"

"No," Hyde scoffed.

"Well, fine but…"

"Just knock on the door!"

Reluctantly, Kelso turned and did just that. It was probably only a few seconds later that Hyde finally set eyes on his competition. He wasn't stupid, or too naïve to not realize that the foreigner was the better choice. He carried no baggage, no pain nor past—just a bare slate and the luck of faultless timing. He had not met her inside the stupidity of youth. He had not had to watch her body grinding against his best friend's in the back of a '74 Lincoln on more than one occasion. He had no such memories. Nor, did he have the foolishness of adolescent decisions standing in his way.

Hyde watched Colin's eyes fall on him next, and pause, before the Irishman made the decision to hold out his hand. "Hey Hyde."

"Colin," Hyde followed in mock-politeness and returned the pithy shake.

Sensing his guest's unease, Colin let go and turned, letting both men inside Jackie's home—the very place that Hyde had freely roamed only days before. It smelled of her, everywhere. Like shampoo and perfume.

"You guys want a beer?"

Hyde raised his chin, accepting, and sat down, his eyes scanning the room for clues, any hint of how they'd spent the last twenty-four hours. But, to his dismay, the apartment was free of anything useful. He looked up in time to catch the raised eyebrows of Kelso—he was nervous, and acknowledging with Hyde the awkwardness of the situation.

"Be cool, Hyde."

Hyde smirked. "I'm good, man."

Within moments, Colin returned to the living room with three beers in hand and handed them to his two guests.

"Thanks," Hyde said quietly, trying to catch the subtle expression of sexual gratification on Colin's face as the foreigner took a seat beside Kelso on the couch. It wasn't something he tended to look for in a man, but nonetheless, he was doing it. Staring. Studying. Probably a little too much, he figured and glanced up at the ceiling inconspicuously, and everywhere in between, as he opened and took a swig of his beer.

"So what's going on?" Colin asked, addressing Kelso. "Jackie told me about you and Brooke."

Kelso sighed heavily and sat back with his beverage. "Yep. Trouble at the old homestead. The wedding's off, she says, but…I think, maybe, she'll forgive me." He took a drink. "Maybe."

"Not if you keep showing up drunk, she won't," Hyde mumbled.

"Man, Hyde. Why do you gotta do that?"

"Because it's true. I know chicks, okay, and they don't…"

"**You** don't know chicks," Kelso interrupted pointedly. "**I** know chicks!"

Hyde shook his head. "Whatever, man. So…" Figuring this was just as good a time as any to implement his plan, he looked at Colin and offered a poorly feigned smile. "I heard you were gone for a while…New York, right?"

"Yeah," Kelso jumped in, attempting to block any conversation between his two friends. "He was New York City for…"

But Colin sat forward with a strange smirk. Hyde was always up to something. It was the game they played. "Yeah. New York… Why?"

Hyde puckered his chin. "No reason." He fixed a loaded stare on his opponent. "That's just a _long_ time to go away."

"Yeah. It I guess it is," Colin nodded, unfazed, before taking a gulp of his own beer.

Hyde raised his eyebrows and grinned. "But the 'coming-back-home' sex must be pretty sweet, huh?"

Lowering his beer, Colin burned a solid gaze into Hyde, trying his damnedest to read him. He might have thought more of Hyde's mischievous glare but he had seen it a million times before, and had heard that tone enough to know that he couldn't stand his girlfriend's ex, but that he was harmless.

Subtly, Colin nodded. "Yeah."

Hyde brow furrowed deeply. "Yeah', what?"

"Yeah, what, _what?"_ Colin sneered.

"Okay! So…" Kelso intervened. "How about that stadium collapse, huh? I mean, can you believe they canceled the game over a few dead Bears fans?" He scoffed.

The lame distraction was enough to draw Colin's perplexed eyes away, but Hyde wouldn't break. Yeah fucking _what_, he wanted to know. His insides were boiling.

"So Jackie must have been pretty happy, huh?" Hyde continued boldly, not at all ready to surrender. He had to know. Did she fuck him? Or, not?

"About what?" Colin asked him, willing to carry on, as well—never one to back down from anyone, especially someone as galling as Hyde.

"You coming home… you know." Hyde grinned again. "She must have been _really_ happy… I know when Jess got home… Oh, she was gone for a while, too, by the way" His grin grew. "Man, I'll tell ya, nothing but…" Hyde pursed his lips and pushed his rigid fist forward. "…for days." Grinning like the Cheshire Cat, he winked again and waited.

Colin frowned. "What are you_ talking_ about?"

"You know. A good 'Welcome home' fucking," Hyde nodded proudly as he smoldered furiously on the inside. But Colin would not take the bait; he only smiled awkwardly, raising his eyebrows as he gave Hyde a falsified nod of approval.

"Good for you, man."

Hyde rolled his eyes away. Fucking asshole. God damn it. He took a deep breath and drank from his can, his ears tuning out the whine of Kelso now telling his tale of Brooke woe to Jackie's boyfriend.

Her boyfriend.

Still. STILL! Hyde closed his eyes and tried to make her quiet words rise to the surface of his discontented mind. I want _you_, she had said. I love _you_. He tried to bring forward their last night in Brooke's bedroom, tangled together beneath the sheets. The way she had whispered to him. The way it felt to be inside her warm mouth. That quieted it some, enough to make Hyde open his eyes and realize that he had learned nothing in the past seven years. It was he who had been untrustworthy. Not her. _He_ who was losing his fucking mind with jealousy.

Hyde glanced at Colin and just knew—damn it, like he should have five minutes before—that he, Steven Hyde, was the last man to have her, to feel her on the inside.

He could _trust_ her.

_He_ couldtrust _her_.

Smirking to himself, Hyde finished his beer and set it down just as the front door opened behind him. He turned his head and found Jackie's widening eyes, trained perfectly on him, and he instantaneously smiled. She looked incredible, dressed up for work, her coat's hood draped over her long, dark hair, still curled perfectly from the morning, he suspected.

Her eyes moved, though, toward Colin, to Kelso, and then back to him.

"Michael…Hyde…" Jackie dropped her purse on the table by the door—her keys, too.

Hyde was the first to speak. "Hey."

"Hey, baby," Colin followed with a slight smile, making Hyde roll his eyes and return to his forward sitting position, no longer facing Jackie.

Kelso grinned painfully at her.

"What's going on," Jackie asked casually, taking off her coat. Hyde could hear in her voice, though, that, just below the surface, she was panicking, probably wondering what they were doing here and what they had told Colin. He needed to get her alone. "What are you guy's doing here?"

Colin simply shrugged and looked at Kelso.

"Oh." Kelso twisted his body and smiled at Jackie. "We were just driving by. Hyde had to see W.B., so…" He nodded aimlessly. "Yep. That's what's going on. Nothing else. We have no exterior motives…"

"Ulterior motives," Hyde corrected and turned his head again, finding her eyes.

Shaking his head, Kelso smiled nervously. "Nope. None of those either."

"Oh," Jackie smiled just as strangely and headed straight for the kitchen, rubbing her temple as she did. "Ok, well does anybody need a beer?"

"No, actually we've gotta go," Hyde answered, kicking Kelso as subtly as possible.

"Ow! Yeah, we have to go." He stood up with Hyde, getting kicked again. Kelso pursed his lips as he glared at Hyde. "Jackie, I really need to talk to you about Brooke. Could you walk us to the car?"

Jackie glanced at Colin, who was now sitting back on the couch with the remote. He smiled at her briefly and looked away. "Um…Yeah. Yeah." She stepped toward the front door. "Just let me just get my coat. It's pouring outside." She pulled her coat back on and turned to Colin. "Baby…" Jackie shut her eyes, practically cringing at her slip, but quickly reopened them wearing an impressive, but forced, smile. "Colin, I'll be right back."

"Yeah, okay," he answered breezily, giving her a smile that made her want to slit her wrists for being such a horrible person. She forced herself out of her apartment, where Hyde and Kelso both stood, and shut the door.

"_What_ are you doing here, Steven?!" she whispered harshly. "Are you crazy?!"

"We need to talk." Hyde grabbed her hand and led her down the stairs with Kelso on their tail.

"Dude, make it fast, Hyde. He's gonna start wondering what we're doing?"

Hyde scoffed. "Like I care."

"Well I do," Kelso returned.

"I do, too, Steven," Jackie added and yanked her hand away, knitting her brow at him as he opened the glass front door for her and smiled arrogantly. Jackie's hands balled into tight fists. "Ugh, Steven! I didn't do this to you! I told you," she complained as they, all three, stepped out into the rain. "…to give me a few days!" She let Hyde take her hand again and lead both her and Kelso against the brick exterior wall to the dark side of the building. Once there, they all seemed to spread apart.

Turning to face an angry Jackie, who stood safely against the brick, Hyde placed his hand over his mouth and then dropped it, sighing. "Kelso, can you go stand at that corner and watch the front door for him?"

"Yeah," Kelso agreed quickly and backtracked to the corner of the building, bringing himself to rest against the wall to keep dry.

"Steven…"

"I'm sorry, okay," Hyde cut in. "It was a stupid thing to do. I just wanted to see you."

Jackie sighed gently. "Steven…" She shook her head. "Look. This is gonna take me a while, okay? And you can't just show up here everyday in the meantime."

"It's one time!"

"It's the first day, Steven," she scolded.

Hyde blew out a breath. "Fine. But it wasn't for no reason. I had to tell you something."

"What?"

"I broke it off with Jess."

Jackie performed a double-take. "You _what_?"

"I broke up with her," he repeated. "Last night."

"Why? I thought you were gonna wait?"

"Well, I couldn't. She wanted to, you know, do stuff," he said matter-of-factly, shrugging. "I kinda had no choice, Jackie. It was either break up with her or _do it_ with her. Which would you have preferred?"

"Oh." Frowning at this, Jackie looked down thoughtfully.

Hyde watched her, slowly beginning to nod as he waited and waited for the smile to come, for the squeal, the hug, something. "Calm down, Jackie. I wouldn't want to break a sweat with all your excitement."

She looked up, not appreciating his tone. "Well what do you want me to say, Steven?"

"That you're glad maybe."

"I _am_ glad. And… relieved," she sighed, slacking against the wall. "But I need more time. And just 'cause you were able to just dump Jessica like that," she snapped. "…doesn't mean that I can do the same."

Hyde shifted his weight, his throat parching, his mind reeling. "Well how much time?"

"I don't know." Jackie shook her head and turned her eyes to the shimmering sky. "It's just so much harder than I thought it would be. He's…being so sweet and…He didn't do anything wrong." She flashed him a fatigued look. "It's just hard, okay?"

An indignant scowl came over Hyde's face. "What, you don't think it was hard for me? You think it was easy for me to stand there and be a dick while she cried and begged for me?" He stepped forward aggressively. "She begged me to stop, Jackie. She said I was fucking hurting her. You think it was easy for me to push her away after that?"

"It was easy for you to push _me_ away," Jackie replied off the cuff. Her tone wasn't accusing or bitter. It just was. It was the truth. And Hyde rolled his head back and closed his eyes, wondering if she was really over it all like she claimed to be, and if the God damn rain would ever fucking stop. It was soaking the back of his clothes.

"Do you at least have a plan?" he lowered his head and asked her a moment later, breaking the silence.

"No." Jackie lowered her eyes to the wet pavement again.

"Well do you have an idea of when?"

"No, okay! I don't! And stop pressuring me!" With an abrupt jolt, Jackie pushed herself off the wall and wandered in front of him. "God! This is all just happening so fast, and it's like I don't even have time to think!" she screamed. "We just made this huge decision, and that's it! Steven, three weeks ago we were at each other's throats, and now…this!" Frustrated, she cupped her fingers over her nose and closed her eyes. "It's just happening too fast."

Hyde looked away, his lips turned inwards. He shook his head and started to laugh disdainfully. "Man…" He tossed Jackie a scornful look. "I fucking knew it."

Jackie dropped her hands. "Oh, God. You knew _what_?"

"I knew you were gonna pull this crap on me," he clarified, narrowing his eyes at her. "This is exactly what you wanted, huh? Just to see if I would do it for you? Like every other chump that does what you say." He stared at her for a moment, growing angrier with each off-putting thought. "Did you _ever_ really plan on breaking up with him, Jackie?"

Jackie's eyes widened angrily. "Yes! I did!" she yelled.

"You _did_."

"Yes," she answered calmly. "I just don't want to hurt him, okay?"

"_Fuck_ him, Jackie!" Stepping toward her, Hyde pointed sternly. "I'm gonna tell you something right now. I didn't put Jess through that shit for fucking nothing. If she could take it, then he can take it." He lowered his hand and shrugged carelessly, his anger shifting instantly into malice. "And if you don't tell him, I will."

"You will not," Jackie growled in warning. "I will never forgive you, Steven."

She held her stare on him, daring him to continue his threats. And he simply stared back, daring her to keep playing her game and fucking with his head.

"Fuck!" But he broke first and turned away.

"Alright, I can't take this anymore!" Kelso walked up, shaking his head in disgust. "Man, what is the matter with you guys? How did you not kill each other when you were together?"

Hyde returned to where he had stood. "Believe me," he grumbled, eyeing his stubborn ex-girlfriend. "It took everything I had not to strangle her everyday."

"Me?" Jackie scoffed. "Please. You're lucky I didn't smother you in your sleep."

Kelso rolled his eyes and dared to step in between the current stare down. "Alright. That's enough. You guys are ridiculous. One minute it's all…" Kelso flipped feminine eyes to the sky. "Oh, Steven. I wanna be with you. And" His voice deepened. "Oh, Jackie. I wanna run away with you to Barbados…"

"What?" Hyde sneered. "I never said that!"

"You didn't?"

"No!"

"Huh? Weird. I always thought that was you."

"What's your point, man?!"

Curious, Kelso looked between the broken pair. "You know. This seems really familiar… Oh wait…" Having an idea, he walked between them and turned around, making it so that Hyde was now on his left and Jackie was on his right. "Yep. This was it," he realized. "You were there and you were there. And we're back to this again."

"Michael…"

"No, Jackie. I'm done trying to fix you two."

Hyde grimaced. "Trying to fix us? Man, you're the damn reason everything is the way it is."

"Fine!" Kelso screeched. "Blame it all on Kelso! 'Wah! Kelso was in a towel. I better go marry a stripper!"

Jackie started to laugh and covered her mouth.

Kelso turned to his chuckling ex. "That's not funny. You promised Hyde something yesterday, Jackie, and he broke up with Jess because of it. And I was there. He's not lying. She was crying really bad and you know how I don't like to see girls cry."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Ugh. I already know, Michael. It made you wanna do it with her!"

Letting her know she was correct, Kelso pointed at her and turned to Hyde. "And Hyde, man, she told you before that she needed some time to end things with Colin and you said 'Ok'. Am I right?"

Hyde turned away and shook his head in ire. "Whatever."

"I'm gonna take that 'Whatever' as a 'You're absolutely right, Kelso, you handsome devil.' And now I'm going to go back to my corner and think about how I'm gonna get my fiancé to talk to me because some of us have _real problems!"_

Shamefully, Jackie and Hyde stood as their friend walked away and left them to each other once again. The night was dark with only a few faraway street lamps revealing the sheets of rain that fell behind Hyde. Facing him, Jackie listened to the peppered trickles of water flowing in small rivers on the ground, feeling the cool mist hit her hands and face. It was so cold tonight and his breath was showing, she realized as she looked up. He was stuck in a wooly stare, though, his eyes landing somewhere behind her right hand.

Jackie's shoulders fell. He looked so tired and embittered. He looked that way a lot these days, she was noticing, and wondered if it was because of her. "Steven."

Hyde snapped out of his daze and looked up slowly.

Jackie's expression saddened. "I'm so sorry." She reached out and caught his hand as she simultaneously rested her back against the wall. "C'mere… Please." He stepped toward her and looked down at her distrustfully as she clutched his shirt inside her fists and pulled him even closer. "Look, I'm _really_ sorry, okay." A pout formed over her lips. "You broke up with her for me and I yelled at you. And I shouldn't have." She closed her eyes regretfully, hating the words as they flew from her lips. "I _know_ how you felt about her." She opened her eyes to gauge his reaction.

But he had no response.

Jackie sighed. "Okay. Normally," she continued, locking eye contact with him. "We would lie to each other. Right? _You_ would lie and say that you don't love her, or me. You'd say that you don't love people." Hauntingly, she smiled, remembering that first boy she had been in love with. "You only love Zeppelin… _and_… Camaros… and…"

Hyde exhaled. "French fries," he added derisively, thinking back to what a mulish fuck he used to be.

"Yeah," Jackie laughed slightly. "And normally I would lie and say that I was fine and that I can handle anything, and that I'm not scared. But, here's the thing Steven; I am. Okay? And I don't wanna lie anymore, Steven. I mean, I'm _really_ scared. And I don't know why. I just feel like I'm… Okay, I feel like I'm jumping out of an airplane or something." She raised her eyebrows in near panic. "After Michael just packed my chute."

Suddenly, Hyde smiled. "Yeah. That would suck."

Jackie nodded. "Steven, you have no idea how…" She looked down, searching for the words. "How…shocked I still am that all of this is happening. That you actually broke up with her for…" Letting the realization of what really happening wash over her, Jackie closed her eyes.

"Look," Hyde cut in. "I'm not happy about it either, okay. I'm not gonna lie to you Jackie. I care about her. A lot. And I miss her. But…I'll get over it. Alright. Just don't tell me that I did it for no fucking reason."

At the look in his eyes, one of determination, Jackie's own eyes grew rounder. She suddenly felt trapped, like a confined animal. Obligated to two. She had promised them both, hadn't she? Nearly betrothed herself in half. And her heart sunk at the tangible revelation.

"Just give me some time," she uttered, suddenly terrified. It _wasn't_ a dream. It wasn't a game. It was real to her now. And she wondered how it hadn't been before. She guessed the difference was that _now_ he had done his part; he had actually followed through. Steven Hyde had dove over that cliff while she still stood on their ledge, too petrified to jump with him.

Her gaze fell to her fidgeting hands as her eyes filled with tears. "I'm so scared he's gonna hate me, Steven. And I'm terrified that I'm not gonna be able to do it, and that _you're_ gonna hate me."

Hyde closed his eyes, his chest feeling as though it was taking on an extra thousand pounds of weight. He wanted to scream at her and wrap his fingers around her neck or bail. But, of course, he didn't. He only shook his head and felt her squeeze him tightly as she nuzzled her face into his chest.

"I'm just… scared," he heard her muffled voice whimper and tried to remember that she had, in the last three weeks, never professed to be anything other. And if he couldn't accept the things she was now, the things she was honestly confessing to be, the thing she only ever braved to reveal to him, then what was the point of it all?

"Hey."

Jackie looked up.

He knew he had no choices anymore. Make demands and push her away or sit back and wait, going crazy. He would do neither. "I love her."

She watched him in silence, her eyebrows creasing.

"But I gave her up. For you," he said sternly, his expression hard, forcing his point. "Just remember that."

Hyde removed her arms from his waist and dragged her back toward Kelso. As they passed him, he pushed Jackie forward gently toward the front doors of her building, saying nothing.

Confused, Jackie turned around and shared a look with him that left no more need for conversation. The ball was in her court now, and she knew, he had put down his pride and given away everything to be with her, and that he would never look at her in love again if she didn't return the gesture.

Slowly Jackie turned forward and headed dazedly back into her home.

"Hey," Colin smiled as she walked in. "Come and sit down with me. I missed you."

"I…I actually don't feel good." She wasn't lying. She felt sick to her stomach. "I'm gonna go take a shower, I think, and then go to bed."

Colin scowled at her newest excuse. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, no I'm okay…" Aware of her transparency, Jackie made a move for the bathroom.

But behind her, he was already getting up. "Jackie. Wait." Colin caught up and spun her around. "What's going on?"

Jackie shook her head and then burst into tears. "No-o-o-othing!"

"Jackie." Colin grabbed her and yanked her into an embrace. "Baby. What the hell's the matter? Tell me. Did that prick say something fucked up to you again? I'll fucking kill him."

"No. No," she shook her head and sunk into his hug. "It has nothing to do with them. I just feel sick."

"Well…" Colin looked around her apartment, frowning, confused as hell about her behavior since he'd gotten home. She was usually perky and happy, but now she just seemed miserable. "Do you need something? Do you want me to go to the store and get you something?"

"No." Jackie backed up and looked at him, bringing her hands to warm cheeks. "God. You are so sweet to me." She sniffled and shook her head. "I just wanna take a bath and go to bed, okay?"

Feeling helpless, and bemused, Colin nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

Jackie smiled amorously and turned, eventually locking herself in her bathroom. She turned on the shower as hot as she knew her body could tolerate and slipped out of her clothes. And once she stepped under the hot spray, she began to sob.

The situation was finally becoming clear. She wanted them both. Loved them both. But unlike it had been for Hyde, she was realizing, there was no clear answer for her. The love came in different forms and was bonded by different memories, different feelings, and inside different parts of heart. There was no way to tell anymore which were the better guides, which were going to lead her to a happy life, and which were going to lead her to that dark place again. She had been so miserable for so long and she just didn't want to feel that way anymore. She just wanted to feel safe and happy, but right now she felt neither. She felt stuck and, yet, like she was floating alone in a cold, empty sky, the only heat coming from the shower spray above her. And right now, it was all she had for comfort. Flowing water. It was never-ending, it seemed, and she couldn't tell anymore if it was her best friend or her worst God damn enemy…

* * *

**Tuesday**

**November 20, 1984**

**Mickey's Drive-In Restaurant**

**Point Place, Wisconsin**

**1 p.m.**

Smiling flirtatiously, Hyde's waitress-on-skates winked down at him. "It's $7.98."

"Keep the rest." He handed her a ten and watched her roll away before grabbing the two sodas from the tray and handing one to Kelso, who sat beside him. "Here, man."

"Is there a straw?"

Hyde looked. "Um…yeah." He grabbed both straws, and the food, and distributed it appropriately.

"Man," Kelso sighed, after taking a bite of his hamburger. "If I tell you something, you promise not to tell anyone?"

"No."

"Come on, man."

"What?"

"I saw that chick again. The one with the kid," Kelso finally admitted shamefully. "I was at Fuzzie's the other night, right, and I…"

"The bar?" Hyde asked, shoving French fries in his mouth.

Kelso nodded. "Yeah. And man, I'm gonna see her again on Thursday."

Hyde scowled and threw a fry at his friend. "What?!"

"You don't understand, man." Kelso looked down. "You have to come with me. There's sort of a problem."

"What problem?" Hyde held out his hands, but Kelso remained silent. "What problem, man?"

"A matter of life and death."

"Damn it, Kelso," Hyde whipped another fry at him. "Stop being so God damn dramatic and just tell me!"

"Alright, but first give me some ketchup!"

"No! You tell me first!"

"Not 'til I get some ketchup!"

"Fine!" Hyde threw several packets of ketchup at his grating friend. "Now tell me!"

"Fine! God!"

* * *

Jessica's Apartment

2:11 p.m.

Alone in her apartment, somewhere she hadn't graced in weeks, Jessica lay on her side, rolled up inside a heavy comforter, staring, listening to Elton John. Her eyes were swollen nearly shut but, thankfully, there were no tears left to shed. They were all cried out.

_What have I got to do to make you love me  
What have I got to do to make you care…_

"Jess?"

Jessica sighed. "God, Sera. Just go away," the depressed blonde answered groggily, her voice nearly gone.

"I told you he was gonna do this."

Pulling in a deep breath, Jessica straightened her legs and looked back. "Lemme guess, you're happy he did it, so you could tell me over and over again how you told me so. Right?"

"No," her sister said quietly and sat down on the opposite side of the bed. "I was just saying, I guess."

"Well don't. I don't need your shit, too," Jessica shook her head as she started to cry again. She was already tired of it. It was like there was no more energy left and so it only felt like her body was killing itself trying to produce another single tear. "Please, will you just go? I just wanna go to sleep."

Sera sighed. "Did he say why?"

"No," Jessica breathed out and yawned, closing her eyes just as she felt her sister's weight impress further onto the bed. She was laying down now so Jessica made the decision to roll over and face her only sibling. "I don't know what to do," she admitted softly. "I don't even know what happened. I just… I came back and he was acting so different. Like a jerk. And he wouldn't touch me or kiss me or anything." More tears arrived. "He's acting like we were never together, like he can't stand me. And I don't know where it all came from. I…I mean, we were fine."

"Well lying in bed and listening to sad songs isn't going to make you feel any better."

Jessica smiled pathetically. "Yes, it is," she retorted, rejecting her sister's theory right as few more rogue tears hit her pillow. "What else is there to do?"

They both turned quiet for a minute, listening to the music and thinking until Sera sighed. "God, this song is so fucking depressing," she laughed weakly, making Jessica laugh painfully, too.

"I know."

Sera propped herself up on her elbow and looked down. "You know…Jess…Are you sure he didn't cheat on you?" she asked carefully. "Like, maybe met someone else."

Jessica's eyes widened. "What?"

"I mean, you were gone all that time and…"

"No," Jessica interrupted, shaking her head with confidence. "He wouldn't do that. He just…I think maybe he's upset about his store and Leo? I don't know."

"So what, he took it out on you? Come on."

"Well what then?" Jessica shrugged, thinking back. "We were perfect when I left. I mean, not perfect, but…he at least wanted me." She looked up, bringing her fingers up to her eyes to rub. "God. What do I do? He hasn't called and or come over and I do not wanna have to call him, but all my stuff is there."

"Do you want me to get it?"

"No," the younger girl answered. "I wanna get it. Maybe…" She shrugged unsurely. "I don't know. Maybe…"

"Or maybe not," he sister added regretfully.

Jessica's eyes downcast. "God," she cried out and rested her head on her sister's shoulder. Or maybe not.

Having some mercy on her only sibling, Sera sat up and sighed. "Look. You want him back or not?"

Jessica frowned warily. "Yeah. Of course I do."

"Alright. Fine. I'll help you." Sera pointed sternly. "But you have to do _exactly_ what I say..."

* * *

Jackie's Apartment

7:15 p.m.

It was hard to explain why she was planted on the other end of the couch. Jackie simply hoped that Colin wouldn't ask. She felt his eyes land on her several times, though. But no sound left his lips, thankfully. She had kissed him several times today and let him fondle and kiss her the night before, only stopping him each time his erection would grow too hard for him to control himself, still using the burgeoning period story as her excuse. And when he slept, he would grind restlessly against her. And, in return, she would heartlessly shove him away.

In her mind, she was the worst person on earth. Guilt was eating her alive. Who did that to someone they loved after a year and half together, Jackie wondered. Only the lowest of the low. He wanted her. And he just wanted to touch her and feel wanted back, and, in her selfishness, she denied him of that, but had taken it gluttonously for herself from another.

Inside her peripheral vision, Jackie caught his glance again but this time he leaned over and hooked her waist, pulling her over.

"Colin!"

With a gentle smile, Colin ignored her complaint and kissed her mouth, slipping his tongue inside and forcing her to yet again break her promise to Hyde as she kissed him back. It was getting more and more difficult to explain to her boyfriend why they couldn't kiss and touch and do the things that boyfriends and girlfriends do. And she couldn't find the way to explain to him that they were over. Truth be told, she wasn't entirely sure she ever would. And she wasn't entirely sure anymore that she wanted to. In the presence of both men, she was finding that perspectives changed, desires flared, and promises flew right out the damn window.

But enough was enough, Jackie decided as she backed her head away. She couldn't do this to Colin anymore. Like Hyde had tried to explain to her the night before, it was either break up with them or fuck them. Strangely, there was no in between. "Colin. Baby, we need to talk."

Colin rubbed his lips together and frowned. "About what?"

"About… us." Jackie metered him, watching for signs of distress, but he only looked at her with no discernable change. "You know, about our relationship," she added.

"Okay," he shrugged.

"Okay, well…" Jackie scowled, trying to merge the words properly in her head. "You know how… people… people in relationships… grow and change and start to want things… You know?"

Colin grimaced and shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

"Um… Like when I bought those boots that one time, remember?"

"What boots?"

"The fur ones. Remember? With the little tassels. I just had to have them but it was mid-season and then it snowed really badly and I never got to. Then the spring came and I couldn't wear those fur boots anymore, Colin," she said firmly, balling her hands into fists. "And it was really hard to let go of them, 'cause they were just _so_ unbelievably beautiful. But it was just time again for sandals. I mean, what could I do?"

Colin looked around the room, confused. "Are we still talking about us?"

"Colin," she scolded, rolling her eyes. It's like he wasn't even listening. "I'm just saying that… the seasons are changing…"

"Jackie," Colin cut in. "I know what you're saying, okay?"

"You do?"

"Yeah, and don't worry so much, baby." He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Things will get better. I promise." She watched him get up. "I'm gonna go pick up dinner now. You need anything while I'm out?"

Jackie's shoulders drooped. "Yeah. We need soda…"

* * *

Hyde's Apartment

7:33 p.m.

With Kelso waiting just behind him, Hyde unlocked his front door and laughed. "Man, I thought you were gonna cry."

"So did I," Kelso chuckled back.

"Did you hear about Forman and Fez, when they went to the…" Stepping inside his apartment, Hyde immediately heard sounds coming from his bedroom—banging and moving around. The lights were out, making the place a sullen blue while his bright bedroom light shined a bright shade of yellow in comparison. "Hey," he whispered to his friend, holding arm out. With his fingers, he gestured for Kelso to follow him.

In the near-dark, they both skulked, ready to pounce the would-be burglar. When Hyde rounded the corner, though, he saw a familiar blonde placing piles of clothes in a large suitcase.

Hyde relaxed and sent Kelso back into the living room. He stepped inside and cleared his throat, so not to scare her. But she still jolted slightly as she turned.

Upon seeing him, Jessica breathed a sigh of relief and returned flat-faced to the task at hand. "You scared me."

"Sorry."

"I'll be done soon. I figured you'd be gone a while."

Hyde stepped forward. "It's okay." It was obvious to him that she had been crying. Her normally refined face was swollen. No color shined her lips. Her cheeks were blushed, though, red as a pomegranate, to match her eyes. He watched her pack. She wouldn't even turn a gaze to him, though, and it felt strange. Cold. He'd remembered that disinterest from her before. And he didn't like it.

Jessica finally turned, annoyed. "You're gonna watch me?"

"No," he answered quietly. "I just… wanted to say I'm sorry."

Slamming a pair of jeans down in her suitcase, Jessica looked up at the wall in front of her. She paused, and thought about it, and decided not to respond. Talking only made him recoil. Silence was a more prudent teacher for him. She'd learned it quickly.

So, Jessica returned to her packing without responding.

"Jess." Hyde walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, facing away from her, and sighed with frustration. "Look. I…" He dragged his thick fingers therapeutically down his face. "I shouldn't have been a dick about it."

"Well, whatever. You got your point across." Rigidly, Jessica walked back into his closet and quickly yanked a few dresses from their hangers.

Hyde was stunned. His shoulders sunk. He felt… insignificant suddenly. He felt exactly the way her eyes were seeing him. It was bizarre to him, having someone love him one minute and then ignore him the next as if he were a stranger. The feeling was foreign to him. He didn't like it.

They were quiet for a while as she packed, gathering all of her belongings. There was so much he realized. The dress she had worn when she forced him to dinner with her father. The blue bikini from Florida. A shirt she had worn near the beginning of their relationship when whole days were spent in bed. He'd taken it off her more than a few times.

Hyde watched her pack it all in silence, not a word falling from her lips, not a single tear from her eyes. She moved faster, too, than he would have expected, like she was genuinely in a hurry to get the hell away from him. It was all unexpected. He thought she'd fight for him. She had sworn, in so many words, so many times, that she would. And it was making him angry.

"I didn't mean what I said," he spat stubbornly.

"We don't need to talk."

"Why not?"

Jessica shrugged impassively and continued her activity. "Why bother?"

Hyde held out his hands, growing confused and more irritated. "Because…" He scoffed. "You know what, forget it." He got up, and, as he walked away, he couldn't help but notice that she wasn't stopping him. Hyde shook his head and walked out to Kelso, who was raiding the refrigerator. "Fucking chicks, man," he blurted out, grabbing a beer.

Kelso frowned questioningly.

"They're all liars."

"Yeah, they are," the taller man quickly agreed, shoving a carrot in his mouth.

Hyde shook his head. "She doesn't even give a shit that I broke up with her."

"Well that's a good thing, right?"

"Yeah." Hyde took a swig. "It's just…" He shook his head, taking another drink. "Whatever." Letting his anger overtake him, Hyde slammed his beer can down and headed for his bedroom again. "What the hell, Jess?!" he yelled upon arrival.

She looked over and frowned in bewilderment.

"So that's it? What was all that bullshit about the other night?"

The blonde rolled her eyes away. "What's the matter, Steven? Am I not acting pathetic enough for you?"

"What the hell's the matter with you?" His scowl was giving him a headache. And it was growing deeper with each silent second. He fucking hated being ignored. Hated not being the one in control. "Did your God damn sister put you up to this?"

"Up to what?" Jessica asked heedlessly, neatly folding a pair of pajamas. "Not taking your shit anymore?"

He wanted to say 'YES!', but pursed his lips and looked away instead.

Seemingly in her own world, Jessica smiled and raised her favorite dress—his favorite black dress—high above her head and turned to her ex-boyfriend, a sleek smile showing over her face. "What do you think, Steven," she asked charmingly and placed the garment over her body, cocking her head to the side as she approached him. "Do you think I look sexy in this?"

Hyde turned eyes to her and frowned, utterly confused.

Without taking her eyes off him, Jessica placed the dress down on the dresser and then, without notice, and still with her ill-behaved smile, pulled off her sweater. Hyde swallowed. He didn't say a word, though, as she slid her pants down her legs and grabbed hold of him for stability as she removed them completely, along with her boots. Her smirk never wavering, her eyes never leaving, she slipped off her bra.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting your opinion," Jessica explained plainly, standing only in her panties. "I guess I could ask Kelso, but I'd rather not." After retrieving her dress, she took only moments to slip it on and spin around. "Steven," she called, turning her head and gesturing to her exposed back.

Reluctantly, Hyde zipped up the dress, and Jessica turned around with a giddy smile, holding out her arms. "So…What do you think?"

"You know what I think."

"Yeah, but… Is it suitable for a first date," she asked, walking away toward the closet. "I mean, I don't think he'll care what I'm wearing, but we're going to that new club, Expose," she yelled from out of sight. "…and I don't want to be underdressed."

He felt it coming up through his throat, the unnatural jealousy. The possessiveness was choking the life out of him and his eyes locked, burning as his body refused to blink.

Jessica returned with the last of her belongings: a pair of black heels, swinging from her raised fingertips. She smiled. "You never answered me."

He only stared glaringly at her.

Jessica kept walking. "What?"

"You know what." Hyde's eyes followed her sauntering form. "Who are you going out with?"

"Well…actually it's none of your business, but I guess it doesn't matter," she supposed, dropping her shoes on her suitcase. "Does it?"

"Who the hell is it?" he repeated calmly.

"Oh." Jessica laughed and held out her hands to him. "Marcus. You know, from work."

"That asshole that's always hitting on you?!"

"That's the one," she smiled.

"You're playing games with me, aren't you?"

"Well, I don't know. I mean, I am going out with him tomorrow night. That's not a lie." She shrugged and slipped back out of her dress, giving it a quick once over. "I think he'll like it," she determined and put it back on its hanger before closing up her bag.

He watched her get dressed. "He's gonna think you're a slut if you sleep with him on the first date."

Jessica looked up, her eyes narrowing. "Is that what you think of me, Steven?" she asked. "That I'm gonna fuck him on the first date? Did I fuck you on the first date?"

"I'm not saying that you're…" Hyde looked away, shaking his head. "Whatever. Do what you…"

"Don't worry, Steven," Jessica interrupted. "He won't think I'm a slut if I just fool around with him a little. You know, just kissing and maybe a little touching in the right places." She winked at him.

Hyde laughed mockingly. "Real cute."

Jessica smiled and stepped up to him. "Carry my bags?" she asked and walked out. "There's two," she yelled back. "One's on the floor by your side of the bed."

Hyde shook his head. "God damn it…"

* * *

**Wednesday - November 21, 1984**

**The Home Of Michael Kelso's Parents**

**Point Place, Wisconsin**

"What are you gonna do, Brooke." Standing at her front door, Marie Kelso grabbed her grandson and drew her granddaughter to her side.

Brooke shook her head. "I'm not sure yet. But I'll be back." She kissed her children goodbye and turned her eyes back to Kelso's mother. "Fuzzie's, right?"

The woman nodded. "Fuzzie's…"

* * *

Jackie's Apartment

7:11 p.m.

Jackie looked at her reflection in her bathroom mirror and rubbed her lips together, blending in the warm red lip stick. Deep inside, common sense told her that he was going to propose tonight. He was just so anxious, so nervous. And he was up to something. It wasn't like him. Not at all. She lowered her eyes and studied her little black dress, raising her fingers to adjust the straps. She had been waiting her whole life for a night like this, had suspected it on many occasions, from many men, but this time, it felt possible, and at the same time, for the first time, completely terrifying.

Suddenly, he entered the room behind her, dressed in a suit, and smiled. "You ready?"

Faintly, she nodded.

Colin hugged her from behind and cocked his head, keeping her image in the mirror. "You're so beautiful, baby."

She smiled at his reflection. "You look incredible, too."

"You're ready to go?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I just have to get my shoes on." She kept her gaze on him as he smiled and walked out. Returning to the mirror, she inhaled deeply and prayed, hoped, pleaded with God, that he hadn't chosen tonight, out of every God damn night possible, after every hint, every push, every nag, tonight, tonight, of all fucking nights, to propose. How could she look him in the eyes, after a year of practically pleading for a marriage proposal, after a lifetime of wishing, with that sweet face of his, those big green eyes, his patient heart, how, God, _how_ could she say no?

* * *

Hyde's Apartment

8:47 p.m.

Just beyond the disheveled haze of his mind, the sounds of Kelso's muffled laughter could be heard. But Hyde was locked in thought, staring into nothing as his brain fretted and pondered. He tightened the fist against his temple and sunk down deeper into the couch. It was Wednesday now and she had not called. Wednesday, all the way from Sunday. Wednesday, and she still had not chosen him.

Though, he had chosen her. Thoughtlessly, and for the first time in his life, he had endeavored to keep her. He had sacrificed. He had been proud of himself. But the pride was fading; it represented Jackie. Her side. _Her _pull on him. And on the other side, where shame resided, was Jessica. He was beginning to believe that her act the night before was just that, an act for him. It was her pride, and it, too, would fade, even faster than his. She wasn't strong; she was sensitive, and she needed him. And tonight, she was going out with a sleaze just to forget about him.

Hyde swallowed and looked over. "Call again."

"Man, she's not home."

"Just call, man."

Kelso sighed. "Fine," he grumbled and picked up the phone, dialing Jackie's phone number. It rang over and over, and on the eighth ring, he hung up. "I told you," he said, returning to his show. "Not there."

Hyde dropped his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. It was strange, he noticed, how, when he was with her, it all seemed so absolute. She touched him and kissed him and fucked him like she wanted him, and only him. And now, well who knew what the hell was going on in that muddled brain of hers.

What was she doing, he constantly wondered, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape the worst prospects imaginable. "I can't just sit here, man."

"Well lay on the floor then."

"No." Hyde raised his head. "I mean I can't just sit here in this apartment."

"You're going somewhere?"

Hyde thought about it. There was only one problem he could fix tonight. One chance to ease his own mind, to make something right. "Get dressed. We're going out."

"What?! No way, man," Kelso staunchly refused. "Bosom Buddies' is coming on next."

"Man, I need your help, though."

"For what?"

Hyde raised his eyebrows. "In case there's more than one."

"More than one what?"

"Guy. We're going to get Jess away from that piece of shit Marcus." Hyde stood up, suddenly energized. "Come on!" he demanded. "Let's go…"

* * *

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Fuzzie's Sport's Bar

8:54 p.m.

Her heart felt like it was shaking violently in her chest, nearly about to burst through her ribcage. With each step inside, Brooke could not rationalize being here anymore. During the drive over she had felt the telltale vigor of courage. A fool's adrenaline had kept her moving forward. But here, finally in this place, it was no where to be found, leaving only the fool.

The typically confident librarian stepped up cautiously to the bar and looked around.

"What can I get ya?"

Brooke turned her head forward. "Huh? Oh," she said, coming face to face with a surly bartender. "Um. Nothing. I'm actually looking for a Christie. I was told she worked here."

"Christie? Yeah. Hang on." The large man searched the room and pointed at a waitress wearing green and white, serving customers. "Right there," he told her and quickly moved on to another customer.

"Thanks." Brooke sat down on a barstool, frozen, her body twisted awkwardly as she stared at the pretty brunette. She seemed younger tonight, thinner, and paler, and just as fatigued as Brooke felt right now.

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to renew her nerve, Brooke stood up and began to walk slowly toward the girl. Flashes of the man she loved kissing this woman, making love to her, screened before her eyes, making her jaw burn with jealousy. But she continued forward, stepping up behind her. "Excuse me."

The girl turned around and mild shock washed over her thin face.

Brooke tried to swallow down the lump in her throat. "We need to talk..."

* * *

Wind Lake – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

9:27 p.m.

Jackie looked around. "Colin, what are we doing here?"

"Just come on." After pulling the keys out of the ignition and grabbing a blanket from the back seat, he got out of the driver's side and walked around the car. She looked to her right as he opened the door on her side.

"Colin…"

Colin smiled. "Come on." But when she refused to move, he squatted down and let his smile fall away. "What's wrong?"

"It's just… I've got my Gucci's on," she explained pointing to her heels. "And it's probably all muddy out there."

Colin shook his head. "It's gravel, Jackie. It's not even wet. It hasn't rained in two days. Come on."

Jackie sighed. "Fine." She took his hand and got out. "Where are we going?"

Colin pointed toward the lake. "Just down there."

She watched him as they walked. Ever since dinner, she couldn't seem take her eyes off of him. He looked so nervous, and, yet, contented with whatever he was about to do. She looked down at their bound hands and wondered; would her naked finger be dressed soon? What would she say if it was?

As they closed in on the shore of the lake where a bench sat, Colin smiled back. "What's the matter, baby? You're not cold, are you?"

"No," she replied and opened her mouth to speak again as he turned his head. Maybe if she stopped him now. With what, though? What would she say? And she found, as she closed her mouth, that she had nothing at all, no idea how to stop the impetus of this night. She didn't have the heart. And maybe, maybe it wasn't what she thought at all. Maybe it was just a moment, maybe it was just their last, she considered, and she found herself clutching him tighter, not wanting to let go. He was just so, so warm and safe.

When they reached the bench, Colin took the blanket and draped it over the seat side facing the water. "Come on," he said as he sat her down.

"What are we doing here?"

He sat down next to her and looked around. "I just wanted to come here with you." He furrowed his eyebrows at her. "Did I ever tell you about this place?"

"No."

"Alright, well," he started as Jackie moved a little closer, finding it chillier by the water. "Remember when I told you about when I moved here, from Belfast?"

"Uh huh."

"Well, I only had my aunt and uncle here. It was before the rest of my family came, and I had I didn't know anybody." He shook his head. "I hated it here, Jackie. I thought all Americans were fucking assholes."

Jackie frowned. "Why?"

"Well… Because they were acting like fucking assholes," he laughed, making her giggle.

"I'm sorry, baby," Jackie smiled, dropping her head on his shoulder.

"Anyway, I wanted to go home. But… my dad wouldn't let me. They had already paid for my first semester and I had to, at least, finish what they paid for." He thought back, frowning. "I went out, though, you know, to the pubs with some of the guys from my school. Some were nice guys. But… I missed home. I had a girlfriend there."

"You did?"

He nodded. "Not long," he smiled, trying to ease her mind. "She ended up cheating on me, so…" Jackie watched a hint of sadness sparkle in his eyes. "That was it." He smiled, though. "It doesn't matter. The point is that I fucking _hated_ it here." His back straightened as he pointed across the lake. "You know my aunt Mary and Uncle David?"

"Uh huh."

"They used to live where those lights are. You see that row of lights?"

"Yeah."

"Somewhere in there. Well, I used to come out here." He shrugged. "Just to get the hell away from them, I guess. And one night, I came out and there was this girl, sitting over on that dock right there," he gestured at a small dock about a hundred yards away, causing Jackie to look over. "She was crying. Uncontrollably. And at first I decided that I was just going to get the hell out of there. She wasn't being attacked or anything. She was just crying. But then I felt like a fucking prick when she looked at me." Colin blew out a long breath at the memory. "So I walked over to her and she started screaming at me to get the fuck away from her. So I did. But I noticed," he laughed a little to himself, "that she had this rope tied around her ankle and at the other end of it was a rock. And it was a pretty big rock, too."

Jackie's eyes' widened. "Oh my God."

"Yeah," he laughed harder. "So I decided to stick around a little longer." Colin smiled at Jackie and pointed again as she snuggled in even closer. "I sat down right there. And we just started talking. She had just been dumped and she wanted to die. That's what she said. She just… wanted to die."

"So what happened?"

"Well…I didn't let her die."

Jackie laughed and swatted at him. "Well I should hope not."

He laughed with her. "Anyway, I got her home—alive—and the next day, when I woke up, I realized that if I had gone home like I wanted to, if I hadn't been here on that night, that girl may have done something really stupid. She couldn't swim," he explained further. "So, anyway, after that I figured that I must have been brought here for a reason. You know, to save that a stupid American girl's life," he deduced with a chuckle. "And that maybe that meant I was supposed to be here."

Jackie smiled. "And you stayed."

"And I stayed," he concluded. "But when I met you… Jackie… You know what I thought?"

"What?"

"That maybe wasn't _me_ who was put there for _her_ that night. Maybe _she_ was put there for _me_," Colin explained. "Because if she hadn't been there, I would have gone home. But she was, and I stayed," He smiled. "So that I could meet you."

Without another word, Colin reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet ring box, making Jackie's heart practically stop in her chest. Placing his knee into the dirt below her feet, he opened it and pulled out the most stunning engagement ring that her eyes had ever seen. It was a princess cut diamond. A white gold band. It was her dream, and she covered her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears. "Colin…"

"Jackie." Colin looked up, vulnerable from where he kneeled. "I'm sorry I don't say it enough. But I love you so much." He shook his head gently. "You're the only reason I'm here." Carefully, and tenderly, he slipped what had cost him his life savings on Jackie's ring finger. "Will you marry me?"

To Be Continued…

* * *

**A/N2:** Ok.** Final Warning.** The faint of heart need not read on. It will be rough in some spots, but there won't be angst simply for angst's sake. It all actually has a purpose, I am proud to say. But, I mean, I'm not some professional writer and I'm gonna make mistakes here and there, so please just remember that I'm trying my best. Thank you. Oh, and please review. 


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: The Event Horizon**

**A/N: **Thank you so much for the reviews and please know that I am totally aware that you guys are the best reviewers an ff author could ever hope for. You guys rock. Ok, I'll make this as brief as I can. I'm pretty aware that you guys are going to start getting irritated, but I can't change the story now. So just remember that I am a devout JH shipper and to trust me, and to try not to yell at me_ too _much. Hehe. Go off on my characters all you want, just, please, avoid the personal attacks. That's all I ask. And if it's me you don't like, then just stop reading; it's real simple. Anyway, it's another very long chapter, so you might wanna go potty first. I'm really happy, though, 'cause the next one should be a lot shorter. Hee. But there's only, like, five or six chapters left. :)

Oh, and you guys! It's the one year anniversary of this story. Haha. On the 15th, it will be one year old. Can you believe that crap:P

Anyway, enjoy! Mwah! I freaking _love_ you guys. And congratulations **Sammied88** on your engagement! Yay:D

**Music**:

You Spin Me Round (Like a record) by Dead or Alive

* * *

_December 28__, 1979_

_He had __felt many ways in his life: happy, sad, disappointed, angry—He felt that one a lot—but he had never felt this way before. It was a sinking feeling. He understood the phrase now. The bulk of his chest had begun to literally sink, almost imploding on itself, the moment she walked away. How could she want Fez? Fez. And not want him. _

_Hyde let his eyes fall to the kitchen table. How long had they been broken up? Three months, he figured in his head. Three months. Hyde looked up and closed his eyes. Three months, and she already wanted someone else. That look, the sick puppy one that he had been avoiding for as long as he could remember, that look had become the one thing he could rely on. It meant someone still wanted him; she wanted him, adored him, and saw in him something that not even he saw. She had always seen it, until now. That look was gone. And the sink, the sink was now here to fill in the void that that look was leaving behind. _

_He could get up. He could shout out her name and stop her, tell her that he still loved her, that he still wanted her and still saw her face when he closed his eyes to sleep. He could do all those things. He could fight for that look, and never let her walk away again. But the moment would pass. It would pass away without her, along with the next five years. If he had known that day, sitting at that table, if he had been able to see the future, he might have jumped from that chair. He might have taken Red's advice._

"_All you need to do is open your mouth, son."_

_Hyde looked up. "What?" _

_Placing a beer down in front of Hyde, Red sat down. "Let me just say something and then I'm done." The older man gave Hyde a hard, scrutinizing stare. "You're a smart kid, Steven, and I've let you make your own decisions. Not like Eric," he added, opening his own beer. "He needs to be pushed. But you, you're like me, the more people push, the more you pull away."_

_Hyde sat back, confused by the abrupt speech. _

"_Just here me out, Steven." Red looked down and frowned, thinking. "There are some people in this world that are our responsibilties. You may not ask for the responsibilty, you may not want it, but they're yours none-the-less, until someone else takes them off your hands. And you can treat that girl however you want but at the end of the day, she's still your responsibility, until someone else wants the job."_

_Hyde opened his mouth, ready to refute the old man's claim, but stopped and turned his head toward the spot she had been sitting. _

_Red stood up. "The things we take for granted today, may not want us tomorrow.' A great man said that once." With that, he had walked away and Hyde, well, he had watched him go with a confused frown, having no idea what the hell any of it meant. It was about Jackie, he knew that much, but Red was wrong, or so he thought… _

…_Five Years Later…_

_Yeah I, I've got to know your name  
Well and I, could trace your private number, baby__  
_

**Wednesday **

**November 21, 1984**

**Kenosha, Wisconsin**

**Club Expose**

_  
All I know is that to me  
You look like you're havin' of fun  
Open up your lovin' arms  
I want some_

Jessica shifted nervously in her seat and pinched her knees together, frowning as she brought them as close to the wall as possible. She was trapped between it and her worst nightmare, an octopus with a Flock of Seagulls haircut. And as her date, Marcus was his name, continued to drone on about his dream of becoming a DJ, she began to glare at her sister, the mastermind behind this brilliant plan.

It was obvious that the older blonde knew nothing about Steven Hyde. He didn't chase her. And rarely did he get jealous. Typically, he just made snide remarks and acted like he didn't give a shit. But her sister had sworn, bet her life on the fact, that if she had any chance of getting him back, this night would reveal the possibility.

Jessica felt a cold hand land on her thigh again and smacked it away. "Will you knock it off?"

_Well I...I set my sights on you  
(and no one else will do)  
And I, I've got to have my way now, baby_

Marcus held up his hands. "I was just trying to get your attention, babe."

Gritting her teeth, Jessica pointed at her sleaze of a co-worker/date. "_Don't_ call me 'babe' and stop touching me!"

"It's cool." He nodded. "The respectful type. I get it."

"You're not _getting_ _shit_," Jessica bit acrimoniously. "That's what I've been trying to tell you."

"Easy, babe. My hands are over here."

"Well they better stay there," she warned, feeling like an animal on display at the zoo as he leered at her. She rolled her eyes, huffing at the confused expression on his face. "Look, I'm not trying to be mean, okay. I just don't appreciate being mauled on dates."

Marcus frowned and grabbed his beer. "You know, you're usually not in this foul of a mood."

"I'm having a bad week," Jessica grumbled, her scowl deepening as she angrily sipped at her Mai Tai.

_You spin me right round, baby  
right round like a record, baby  
Right round round round…_

"You're still upset about the break-up with that asshole boyfriend of yours?"

Jessica narrowed her eyes and looked over. "He's not an asshole. And it just happened. Okay." She raised her palms. "You know what? I do not wanna talk about this with you."

"So why are you out on a date already if it just happened?"

"Them," she gestured sneeringly at Sera and her friend, Megan, who were seated around the table with their own boyfriends. "They thought I should get out of the house and stop crying over him. And they _thought_ that if…" Jessica turned toward her date, pleasantly surprised that he seemed to actually be listening. "That if he knew I was going out on a date that…" She sighed. "You know."

"That he would get jealous and want you back?"

Jessica nodded pathetically. "Stupid, huh?"

"Wait, what's his name knows we're here?" Marcus asked uneasily, straightening up in his chair.

"Yeah."

"What, are you trying to get me killed?" He made a few nervous glances around the club. "That guy hates me. He threatened to kill me that one time."

_All I know is that to me  
You look like you're lots of fun  
Open up your lovin' arms  
Watch out, here I come_

Jessica rolled her eyes. "He's not gonna kill you, Marcus."

To her chagrin, though, her date suddenly turned to her with a distrusting glare. "You set me up."

"No." Jessica shook her head. "Marcus. He's not gonna come." She leaned forward and reached out, unconsciously placing her hand on his knee "Hey. I swear. It was a stupid plan. He's not gonna show up here for me." Her final mistake was letting her eyes soften as she tried to ease his mind. Apparently, she had gotten too close, because, the next thing Jessica knew, she was being kissed.

Immediately, she backed up and slapped his chest. "Marcus!"

_You spin me right round, baby  
right round like a record, baby  
Right round round round…_

"Man, did you see that?" Hyde shouted angrily over the music to Kelso, his head moving left and right to try to re-find his view through the crowd. "She kissed him!"

Kelso raised his eyebrows and laughed. "Burn score for Jess. Man, she didn't waste any time, did she?"

As Hyde looked on, adrenaline coursed through his veins with increased vigor. The irony and hypocrisy of his jealousy were clear as day to him, but when the crowd parted and he saw Jessica slapping the shit out of her date, he didn't care. His protective side took over.

"Will you relax? I thought you wanted to!"

Jessica slapped her date once more. "Well I don't!" And like lightening to her dimmed pupils, the sight of Hyde rushing up behind Marcus stunned her from further movement.

"Hey!" With complete awe, Jessica watched Hyde slam the back of Marcus's chair down to the floor, causing his feet to fly into the air. Hyde picked him up by his shirt. "What did I tell you, man?" The force with which he slammed her date's body into the nearby wall caused every picture to fall to the floor with a crash, but only a few people noticed the commotion in the busy club. "Stay the fuck away from her!"

_You spin me right round, baby  
Right round like a record, baby  
Right round round round_

Hyde grabbed Jessica's hand and pulled her from her chair.

There was a brief moment, as her body was leaving her seat, that Jessica had time to glance elatedly at her smirking sister. But when she came face to face with Hyde, her eyes softened. "Steven…"

"God damn it, Jess. What the hell are you doing?" In his next breath, though, his eyes softened, too. "You alright?"

Jessica's shoulders rose with her smile. "I'm fine, baby," she said adoringly, still stunned by his presence.

Finally becoming aware of the eyes that were trained on him, Hyde looked down, scanning the faces at her table and stopping at Sera. "What?"

All the, usually outspoken, girl had to offer, though, was an obnoxious grin. "Nothing."

"Bitch," Hyde muttered and turned his head, taking another opportunity to scare Marcus. "Lemme catch you near her one more time."

Marcus cowered down as Hyde stepped forward threateningly. "Alright. Alright. I'll stay away from her."

Jessica could only stare at Hyde, though, the smile never waning from her lips. Her eyes glowed in amazement. God, he had never looked so good. And he was never so sexy to her than he was right now. She smiled dreamily down at her sister as Hyde yanked her dazed body away and pulled her through the dark, strobing crowd toward the exit, shoving the dancers out of the way.

"Where are we going?" she yelled over the music.

"Outside."

"Are we going to your place?"

As they stepped out into the dry night, and waded through the crowd that still waited to get inside, Hyde drew her close and began to look around the parking lot. Kelso, who had followed them out, simply leaned, bored, against a wall nearby.

Still enamored, though, Jessica moved in against Hyde's chest, the warm feeling overwhelming her as she stared up at him. "I missed you so much, baby."

Hyde continued to look around. "Where's your car?"

"I don't have it."

Hyde looked down at her. "What?"

"Marcus picked me up."

"Man, you let that guy see where you live?"

Jessica laughed. "It's not like he's not gonna stalk me, dummy. Not after what you did."

Hyde scoffed and shook his head. "Damn it, Jess. Don't be fucking stupid. There are a million assholes out there. And you're acting like 'La di da. Everything's fine."

"I was with people."

"Yeah, I could see all of them were doing a lot to help you, too."

Jessica grinned, still high from his arrival, and wrapped her arms around his waist. "He was harmless." Her smile grew even wider as he looked down at her and frowned.

"This is funny to you?"

She was unfazed, though, by his anger, just thrilled that he was here. Her shoulders rose with another delirious grin. "Aww. You're jealous," she teased and squeezed him tightly.

Hyde studied her for a moment and then shook his head, scoffing. "You're drunk."

"A little," she admitted happily.

Hyde pulled her arms from his waist and grabbed her hand. "Kelso!"

"Huh?" Kelso perked up and walked over. "Man, can we go now?"

Hyde tossed his keys over. "Go get my car."

"Where are we going?" Jessica asked as she slyly slipped her hands beneath the hem of his sweatshirt and put her arms back around him. Her eyes grew wide and excited with hope. "To your place?"

"No," he said flatly, wondering how just looking at her could make him feel so guilty. He was supposed to be able to turn himself off. Shut it all down to make it go away. But as the years trickled forward, it was becoming increasingly more difficult to pretend he was inhuman.

A few minutes later, Hyde grabbed her hand and walked her to where Kelso had pulled up with the El Camino. He felt like an asshole insisting that she leave, but he knew that guy. He knew guys like him. And she was vulnerable right now. Guys took advantage of that shit. He had done it himself. And as it stood, she was still his responsibility.

With Kelso in the driver's seat, Hyde opened the passenger side door and directed Jessica to scoot all the way to the middle so he could get in behind her. Once settled, she hugged his arm and rested her head on his shoulder, propping her legs carefully over his. "Are you gonna come in with me?"

Hyde let out a sigh of frustration. "Jess. This doesn't change anything. I just wanted to make sure that fucker didn't try anything stupid." He tipped his head and pointed. "Hey, Kelso, make a left."

When they got to her house, Hyde got out and helped her out, shaking his head as she began to pull him toward her apartment.

"Jess, what are you doing?"

She looked back as they walked. "I want you to check my apartment."

"For what?"

"Well how do you know some murderer guy hasn't noticed that I've been staying here alone the last few days and snuck in and is now just waiting for me to come back home alone." She stopped and turned, giving him her most innocent, 'helpless girl' pout. "Please."

Aware of what she was up to, Hyde gave her a deliberate look and cocked his head to the right. She was so full of shit. But knowing his life, the night he didn't check would be the night her 'murderer guy' would actually be there. "Alright," he agreed, pointing at her sternly. "But I'm leaving right after I check."

"Okay!" She smiled victoriously as he gestured to Kelso that he would be right back and gracefully stumbled toward her front door. Within moments, they were both inside, alone, and in the dark.

With an impish smirk, Jessica shut the door and leaned back against it while Hyde held out his hands, clueless to the exact layout of her apartment. They never came here.

"Jess. Where's the light switch? I can't see shit." Immediately, he felt her hands grip the sides of his sweatshirt and pull him backwards.

Jessica slipped wrapped her arms rightly around him. "Baby. Stay the night with me." She kissed his back.

"Jess…Come on."

She turned him around and re-tightened her grip. "Don't you miss me, even a little?" Gently, she pulled him with her back against the door, until she was sandwiched in.

Hyde sighed heavily. "What does it matter? We broke up."

It didn't take much else, just that reminder, for her to begin to cry. It wasn't hard. The tears simply softened her words as she spoke, asking the one question he could not honestly answer. "Why, though?" She looked up and raised her arms, slipping her hands to the back of his neck. "What did I do?"

Hyde shook his head. "You didn't _do_ anything," he replied gently, not stopping her when she brought her lips mere millimeters from his.

"Did you meet somebody else?" Her own question made a tear finally fall.

"No," he answered quickly, resting his forehead to hers. "I just…don't want to be in a relationship anymore. Okay? Can you understand that? It has nothing to do with you."

Jessica was quiet for a minute, just breathing as she began to play with the hem of his sweatshirt. She shook her head. "No. I can't understand it. We were happy one minute and then I left, and then you just don't want me anymore? And now tonight, there's this. You're confusing the hell out of me, Steven."

"Look. All the stuff I said, I didn't…I didn't mean all of it, okay. You just weren't fucking listening to me. So, I had to…" He took a deep breath. "…you know, say what I said."

With what his night vision allowed, Hyde watched her smile and watched her brown eyes begin to actively wish. They were wishing for the same thing they always wished for. They never relented. Ever. He withdrew his head, realizing that he had given her hope. "Jess… Why do you do this to yourself?" He expected her to start crying again, but instead she straightened herself up.

"Because, Steven, I'm in love with you," she affirmed and, seeing an opportunity, yanked him flush against her. "And I know you still care about me. You wouldn't have come tonight if you didn't." Rising to her tip-toes, she reached up and pressed her mouth to his, kissing him gently. "Okay. Baby, listen to me," she whispered against him. "Whatever it is that's going on with you, I'll wait through it, okay." Another tender kiss warmed his lips, and her tongue tickled his, making him close his eyes. "I'll wait for you. I swear to God, I will." This time, she kissed unresponsive lips but shut her eyes at the feeling of his arms locking her back into her safe place. "Just don't find anyone else. Okay. Please."

"Jess…"

Jessica opened her eyes. "Just tell me you don't miss me at all," she interrupted. "That you don't feel _anything_ for me, and I'll walk away. I swear." Her eyes pleaded with his for the answer she needed to hear, waiting as Hyde frowned in thought.

"I can't."

Hearing it, she smiled. "Then I'll wait…"

* * *

Point Place, Wisconsin

Fuzzie's Sports Bar

Christie nodded at Brooke and turned her head. "Julie, can you take my tables for a few minutes?"

The girl nearby agreed and so Christie directed Brooke to a table at the back of the bar where they both sat down warily. After a few awkward moments passed, Brooke decided it was time to get down to brass tacks. "What do you want with him?"

The young woman across from her shook her head. "Nothing. I mean…" She sighed and sat back, relaxing a little. "Ok, not _nothing_. But it's not what you're thinking,"

Brooke scoffed. "You have no idea what I'm thinking," she retorted glaringly.

"Well I know what I would think." The girl rolled her eyes. "Come on. I'm not stupid. Girl shows up at your door with a baby, saying it's your husband's..."

"He is _not_ my husband," Brooke corrected and sat back stubbornly in her seat.

Christie frowned in confusion. "Wait. But he said you guys were getting married."

"Yeah well, not anymore."

"God damn it." Christie's shoulders drooped and she covered and rubbed her palm's down her face. "No. God. Please don't do that. This is not…"

"Alright," Brooke sat up. "Just… shut up for a second," she snapped. "I wanna know what happened. I wanna know about… you know, that night. Right now."

Christie blew out a breath. "Fine… Fair enough," she agreed calmly. She rubbed her tired eyes and tried to think. "Okay. It was," She sat back, "like, two and a half years ago and my fiancé had just broken up with me and so my friend and I were out at this bar that we went to sometimes. You know, she wanted to cheer me up. And so we got drunk." A wince of embarrassment washed over her face. "_Really_ drunk. And we met Kelso and…" She frowned.

"Hyde," Brooke interjected.

"Right." Christie unconsciously twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "The one with the curly hair and the sunglasses."

Brooke nodded. "Yeah. Go on…"

"Ok, so Kelso said that he had just gotten dumped, too. And we were just talking, and he was bombed. We all were. And," Christie rubbed her face again. "Look." She made eye contact with Brooke, her expression pathetic and full of remorse. "It was terrible. Okay. I barely remember it. It wasn't some…magical, hot, passionate moment like you're probably worrying." Shamefully, the younger girl looked away again. "It just happened. I mean, I never sleep with men I don't know. I know you don't believe me but I swear it."

Brooke just stared at the sorrowful girl and found herself starting to believe her but her obstinacy kept her arms protectively crossed. "And then…"

"And then we never talked again," Christie continued. "A couple of months later, I found out I was pregnant, and my friend, Allison, tried to call that Hyde guy, but he had moved, and he stopped showing up at the bar. It was weird. He just _disappeared_. I kept telling her to forget it. I didn't want to bother Kelso with it, you know? What were we gonna do? Have some perfect, happy little family off of a drunken one night stand?" Christie scoffed. "Right."

"So why now?" Brooke asked. "Why all of a sudden are you contacting him?"

"I needed to talk to him. Didn't he tell you?"

"We haven't exactly talked since I found out."

Christie's eyes creased sorrowfully. "I am _so_ sorry. Look. Here's the thing…I 'm…I was diagnosed with Melanoma last year. It's a type of skin cancer. And…I don't have any real family. My parents are dead." The brunette rolled her eyes. "My aunt is a complete bitch. I mean, I have a sister but she's just…" Christie shook her head. "She's too fucked up to take on the responsibility of a child, and…" Her face twisted as she began to cry. "I…I can't expect my friends to take him, you know. They have lives, and my son is not their responsibility."

"Wait." Brooke leaned forward. "Are you saying you want Michael to take the baby?"

Christie nodded. "Well yeah. I don't know what else to do. Sic months ago, my doctor told me I have, maybe, six months to live."

Stunned at the ease at which this girl spoke of her own demise, Brooke looked around the bar, holding out her hands in question. "Wait…And you're working?"

"Well what else am I gonna do? Welfare doesn't pay shit." She noticed the look on Brooke's face and tried to explain. "Tomorrow's actually my last day. I'm on Chemo and sometimes I have to run to the bathroom to throw up… and my boss, he doesn't want me around the customers anymore. I mean, I understand. He's got a business to run."

"But you look…"

"Oh…It's a wig," Christie explained with some humiliation, sliding a lock of it between her fingers. "And…I didn't used to be _this_ thin. I had boobs, you know," She smiled sadly and gently smoothed the back of her hand down her face. "And cheeks."

Brooke shook her head. "I'm…I'm so sorry. I don't…" She sighed. "I have no idea what to say."

"No, it's okay." Christie smiled and scooted her chair in closer to Brooke's. "Look. I'm not gonna lie to you. My son… Justin… might not be Kel…Michael's. He wasn't the only one I slept with."

Brooke frowned. "I don't understand."

"I slept with my ex right before we broke up, like a few days before Michael. But the jerk won't take a blood test. See, but I actually think he's Kelso's." Excitedly, she pulled out a picture of her son and handed it to Brooke, who quickly began to study the image of the doe-eyed toddler.

"Yeah, okay…He looks a little bit like him, but…" Brooke looked up. "He's got blue eyes and Michael has brown."

"Yeah, my ex has blue eyes," Christie acknowledged. "But he also has blond hair. And my dad has blue eyes. So it's still possible for him to be Kelso's. And Justin looks nothing like my ex." She shook her head. "Nothing."

Overwhelmed, Brooke covered her eyes. "I don't even know what to say right now. I have…"

"Look. I'm gonna be honest, Brooke. I want him to be Kelso's. I mean, I don't know him, but I know that he has you. And he already has kids and a steady job. Right? And he's really sweet from what I remember. He's just a _nice_ guy." Finally, Christie let it all go and began to sob. "My ex-boyfriend is an asshole. I don't want my son to be raised by him. I've been praying every night that the test comes back saying that Michael is the father. I'm just scared for my son if he's not." Her eyes turned desperate, pleading with this woman that she did not know in every way imaginable in these final hours. "If he is…Michael's…" She swallowed hard. "Would you take him? Would you raise him?" She scooted her chair in even closer to Brooke's. "Please? He's a good boy. He behaves and he sleeps through the night."

Staggered by the request, Brooke's eyes froze wide and she looked down numbly, gulping down the air in her dry throat. "I…" She looked up. "I…um…" Finally she blinked. "Did Michael say he would take the test?"

Christie nodded and wiped her eyes. "Yeah. But he said he wouldn't do anything else until you said it was ok. I was actually going to go see you tomorrow," she admitted with a timid shrug. "I thought for sure you'd kick my ass the second you saw me." Strangely, both women laughed, a brief smile shining through their tears. "But it was worth a shot, I figured. I don't think I have much time. It spread to my lungs and most of my organs." She looked around, her tears drying. "I'm so tired all the time. And I can't really see all that well anymore. It sucks." Grabbing the librarian's hand, Christie looked into her eyes. "I'm really sorry to put all this on you. I know you don't know me, but if Brandon is Kelso's son, then I need him to take him. It's Justin's only chance…I'm sorry."

Brooke looked down and closed her eyes, trying so hard to put her feelings together. She hadn't expected to feel so forgiving. She hadn't expected to walk out of this place feeling alright. But it seemed that the universe had different plans tonight, plans two years in the making. "Hey, um," She looked up, "I'm gonna go get a drink. Do you want anything?"

Christie shook her head. "I can't. I have to get back to work."

"No, you _don't_," Brooke insisted, huffing. "I'll will give you whatever it was you were gonna make." Confidently, she stood up and gestured for the girl to stand. "You're done. You just quit. Let's go…"

* * *

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Jackie's Apartment

11:58 p.m.

Lying on his stomach, his cheek resting on crossed arms, Colin stared at his, what he thought was, _sleeping_ girlfriend. He missed her, as if she wasn't less than two feet away. Her body was here, but her mind was somewhere else, and her heart seemed lost to him…

Aware that he back was being watched, Jackie silently swallowed down a sob. Her face was awash with tears, but she couldn't cry freely. She had to stifle what wanted to scream, the warm saline being all she could release. He would wonder why, on such a night, she was crying. It should have been a night for celebration, but, instead, here they lay, having gone to bed early, her back to him as she mourned a path she had not taken.

Jackie picked up the spare pillow from the floor below and hugged it tightly. Hyde was with her tonight; she could feel him wrapped all around her. She had never in her life wanted to hold him so much, never before wanted to literally crawl inside of him and hide away from the world. Never before, though, had he represented such comfort and safety. The memories of him were shifting and becoming new. And he was rewriting it for them, bravely, as she sat idly by, too afraid, and too stuck in the past, to move…

* * *

**The Next Morning**

**Thursday **

**November****22, 1984**

**8:37 a.m.**

"Goodbye to you, too, Jackie."

Jackie spun around. "Huh? Oh…I'm sorry, baby." She walked over to the couch, ignoring the glower on Colin's face as she kissed his unresponsive lips. "I'm just thinking about some things I have to do at work today." She stared down at him, raising her eyebrows when she realized the scowl was not going to be leaving his face anytime soon. "What's the matter?"

Colin looked up. "You really have no fucking idea, do you?"

Jackie's shoulders fell. "No, I do. Okay." She sat down beside him on the couch.

Colin pinched his lips together and looked down. "I'm going home today. I'm gonna stay there for a while."

Jackie's eyes widened disconcertedly. "Why?"

"Because I can't sleep in the same God damn bed with you anymore." She could hear the exact level of anger in his voice. He was more pissed off than she had anticipated. His head turned toward her. "I don't know what the fuck's going on, Jackie, but I'm not gonna sit here and deal with it anymore."

Jackie felt her heart jump painfully in her chest as a sob rushed up her throat. "What are you talking about? What, because I won't have sex with you?! You're gonna leave?!"

"Yeah," Colin responded, matter-of-factly. "I was gone for three weeks. I get back and you won't let me kiss you, you won't let me hold you, you won't even let me fucking touch you! You…" The hurt that escaped into his eyes struck her hard and he turned away and stood with a loud exhale. "Forget it."

"Colin," she called out. "I'm sorry, okay. It's not you, baby."

"Just go to work, Jackie." She watched him walk into her room, presumably to get his stuff together, and covered her mouth to dam a sob. Her eyes caught the large diamond that sat on her finger, and she was sure, she couldn't take much more. She would crumble into nothing before this was all over. And she would go to hell after that for what she was doing to the people she loved.

She had never in her life felt worthless, or felt so pulverized inside, and it was only Thursday. Jackie grabbed her purse, threw the ring inside and walked out, determined to give Colin peace by day's end…

* * *

One Hour Later

The Forman/Pinciotti Residence

"Well why tonight?"

"_I had canceled,"_ Brooke told Donna on the phone. _"I was lucky to get her tonight. Just call everybody for me. Tell them to come in regular clothes. 5:30 in the dinner hall."_

Donna smiled. "This is so cool. Eric's gonna be so happy when I tell him. Did you tell Jackie yet?"

"_No, I've been looking for her. Colin said she was at work, but when I called, they said she hasn't come in yet."_

"Oh God." Donna rolled her eyes. "She's probably with Hyde." She shook her head and sat back on her couch. "Poor Colin. You know, it's only a matter of time before he finds out."

"_Hey. Have you talked to Jessica since Hyde broke up with her? Does she know?"_

"No. She's devastated, though, over losing him. But get this; she called me last night, all excited. She had been out on a date, right, with some guy her sister had set her up with, and guess who showed up to kick her date's ass."

On the other end of the line, Brooke gasped. _"You're kidding me. Hyde?"_

"Yep. And he took her home and told her that it's a possibility they could get back together and _then_, they made out."

"_Oh my God. What a jerk! I knew it! He's not really gonna leave her. And watch. Jackie's gonna end up breaking up with Colin and getting her heart broken."_

Donna nodded. "Probably. But it's not like she's gonna listen to us. Especially not me. I'm 'emotionally retarded," the red head mimicked, waving her hands and imitating her small friend. "And I don't know what it's like to date a real man."

Brooke laughed. _"She is stubborn."_

"Yeah," Donna sighed. "I just wish she would be careful."

"_Me, too…"_

…Jackie placed her hands on insulated steel and stared into its white painted surface. There was freedom on the other side of these walls and beyond this door. Where warmth converged between her body and his, the past seemed to come alive and she felt like a child again—worry free and full of hope. There, there was no responsibility, no loyalties and, best of all, no guilt.

Frowning, and suddenly desperate to get inside, Jackie drew her hands back and slammed them hard against its surface. "Open the damn door!"

She heard movement on the other side and, a moment later, Kelso swung open the door. "Whaaaat!"

"Why didn't you answer the door?" Jackie asked angrily, pushing past him to get inside.

"I didn't hear a knock."

"Where's Steven?"

"In his room. I think he's in the shower." Kelso shut the door and followed her deeper into the living room. "Hey. Where's Brooke? Have you talked to her?"

Jackie turned around. "Not since yesterday."

"Well, when you do, tell her I love her. And that I'm miserable. And, and sorry. Oh, and tell her that I'm hungry. Hyde's rationing my cereal! He won't let me have any more of the good stuff. He told me I had to go shop for myself! And he made me clean the bathroom!" Kelso grabbed his ex's shoulders. "He's a slave driver, Jackie! You have to tell her!"

"Michael. Michael. Alright." Jackie pushed him off of her. "Calm down. I'll try, but she's not listening to me. She's still angry. Okay, just give her time."

"Yeah, but…"

"I'll tell her everything you said, okay? I promise."

Kelso sighed. "Yeah, okay."

"So…" Glancing nosily around the apartment, Jackie began to wander and peek into different rooms. "Has Jessica been here?"

Kelso's face blanched, his expression freezing. "I don't wanna say."

Jackie snapped her head toward him. "What?"

"I don't wanna say," he repeated, shaking his head and backing up before he was blocked by the couch.

"Oh, you _better _say, Michael," she responded threateningly and took a few menacing strides toward her ex-boyfriend who towered over her by nearly a foot. "If you know what's good for you." Without much warning, she then found, pinched and twisted his nipple until his knees buckled.

"Ow! Ow! Fine! We went to a nightclub last night, 'cause she came here and she got naked, Jackie! And she told him she was…"

"Wait, what!" Jackie's eyes widened. "What do you mean 'naked?"

"Well she changed clothes in front of him, and told him that she was going on a date, so Hyde got jealous and we followed her."

"Oh, really," She pinched his other nipple. "Go on!"

"Ow!" he screeched angrily. "Stop doing that!" Smartly, he cupped his now sore nipples. "And then he hit Jess's date and we took her home."

"And?" Jackie waited it out briefly, but she knew Kelso like a book, and he wasn't done spilling. So she slapped the center of his chest. "Michael!"

"Alright! He went inside with her," he added with a growl. "But he came out a few minutes later, and we came right home. And that's the last we've seen of her." He lowered his hands but made repositioned them again quickly. "Oh, but she did call last night."

Jackie folded her arms. "And?"

"He talked to her for a little while."

"Michael, are they back together?"

"No. No. He's still waiting for you, I think."

Jackie sat down on the couch and tried to soothe her herself with rational explanations. But still, she felt the slight burn of jealousy deep in her chest and pinched the muscles between her eyes to try and block an oncoming headache. "Okay. Alright." She stood up again. "I need to go talk to Steven."

Not knowing what to expect from this morning's venture, Jackie ambled slowly down the dark hallway toward his bedroom. Her steps were so slow that she could feel each fiber of the carpet crush beneath the soles of her boots, a thin strip of gray daylight below his door her only guide. When she reached the closed door, she rested her hands flat against it and leaned in to listen, but was unable to hear the hiss of a running shower.

"Steven," she called softly and rapped her fingers a few times just above the knob.

"Man, I'll be ready in a minute!"

Confused, Jackie pushed open the door and peeked inside, grateful to find him lying face up on his bed, wrapped at the waist in a towel, his feet still on the floor, palms covering his eyes, but more importantly, alone. "Steven."

Hyde uncovered his eyes and looked over. "Oh… Hey." He sat up.

Jackie breathed a short sigh of relief as she stepped inside. Some part of her, somewhere deep inside, was terrified that he would have company. And she wasn't even sure why she would think it, only because Michael would have told her, not because it wasn't past Hyde to do it. "Hey."

"What are you doing here?" Hyde stood up and headed for his dresser, pulling out a few items from his top drawer. With the items in hand, he turned around and shrugged apathetically. "Shouldn't you be with your boyfriend or something?" Jackie walked over to where he stood. "I'm sure he's worried sick, wondering where his girlfriend is."

Indignant, Jackie tilted her head and exhaled. "Steven, cut it out. I needed to see you."

Something, maybe it was the mischievous sprite inside her, forced her gaze from his eyes down to his bare chest. He smelled so clean and, curious, she made her hands rise to meet the light dusting of hair above his sternum. He was dry, too. With a glowing smile, she let her fingers lightly trickle down to his bare stomach and slide around the side to the taut flesh of his back. "I missed you." She looked back up, instantly caught off guard by his eyes; they were drowsy now and focused her lips. "And we need to talk about something," she added.

His gaze rose slightly to meet her eyes and Jackie suddenly felt like the naked one, exposed and vulnerable like open prey. In an instant, adrenaline struck her heart, causing it to thump heavily in her chest as the corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smile. "Oh, yeah?" Her eyes watched as his lips closed in on her hers.

Jackie closed her eyes when he gently made contact and kissed her. His lips were so unbelievably soft, and, when he parted them, an incredible warmth overwhelmed her. It never did take much to become distracted by the sensual manner with which he used his mouth. It was what had gotten her in this mess in the first place. His kiss.

"Steven," was all she managed in her next breath. His kisses were hypnotically slow today, and deliberate, but given with such force behind every movement that she felt a sudden urge to lie down. And around to her back, his hands moved with the same purposeful mission, one rising up into her hair before taking a fistful. He spun her long locks, wrapping them around his hand, and yanked her head back, causing her to cry out softly.

"Uh, God." Her eyelids clenching, Jackie felt a tender kiss land just to the left of her exposed mouth and tried to turn her head to catch it, but failed.

"So what did you wanna talk about?" His breath tickled her skin; and she felt another sultry kiss fall on her jaw.

Jackie frowned. "Um…" Another gulp of air and she felt several more kisses wet the long muscle of her neck, discovering that the way her hair was coiled tightly around his fist, and the way he pulled and twisted on it, was giving her more pleasure than even the kisses and licks that were traveling down her throat. "I don't…" Jackie raised her eyebrows and swallowed. "God." A euphoric smile washed cleanly over her face, making her nose sting and her eyes water. The child had taken over, and the young woman who enjoyed the way this man fit against her body, the way his mouth warmed and moistened her flesh with such precision. It triggered her evocative high.

With a playful bite on her bottom lip, Jackie tugged lightly at his towel and brought her head back down, realizing that his hold on her hair was never really that tight. She'd only wanted it to be.

Hyde grinned back amiably and made their lips meet again in a blithe kiss. This time, Jackie threw her arms around his neck, giggling when he lifted her body up and pulled her legs around his waist. Giving in to the morning's only bliss, she continued to kiss him wildly as he walked over, locked the bedroom door and made both of their bodies fall onto his bed.

From her back, Jackie slid her hands down to his stubbly cheeks and admired his features. "I missed you so much." He kissed her again, groaning the moment her legs secured his towel-covered hips to hers and squeezed.

Hyde pulled back and shifted all his weight to his left arm, using his right to try and work through the buttons of her shirt. But they were too small for his thick fingertips. "Take all this crap off," he told her, moving his hands down her side appreciatively.

Jackie started to, but stopped. "No. Wait. We've gotta stop." She placed her hand on his lips as he bent down. "We can't do this. Steven. We _really _need to talk."

Sighing, Hyde rolled to his side and sat up. "Jackie." She propped up on her elbows, nervous at the tone with which he used her name. "Did you come in here to tell me that you broke up with him?"

"Um…No." Jackie winced.

He craned his neck back. "So you haven't yet?"

"No."

Turning his lips in, Hyde nodded and stood up. "Then there's nothing to talk about."

Jackie sat up. "Oh, trust me, Steven. There is."

"No," he insisted, dropping his towel and pulling more clothes from his closet. "There isn't, Jackie."

"Steven." She inhaled noisily as he began to dress and, bringing her fingers to the bridge of her nose again, blew out the breath sloppily. "It's just…more complicated now."

Scoffing, Hyde pulled a t-shirt down over his thermal. "No. It's not." Once finished dressing, he grabbed his sunglasses off his dresser, making Jackie frown, and slipped them on. "Oh, and by the way, I'm not gonna wait much longer for you."

Jackie looked askance at him. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Hyde shrugged. "Take it however you wanna take it. I've gotta go."

"Wait a second!" Jackie shot up to her feet, scowling; the recent news of Jessica still swirling around in her head. "Where are you going?"

"Out."

Her jaw stiff, Jackie took a portentous step forward. "And what's '_out?_"

"It's the opposite of in, Jackie."

"Don't be a fucking smart ass, Steven!" she warned him, having had enough of his game, but, igniting her frustration, he seemed unfazed. "And don't give me any of your 'zen' crap either. What have you been doing with Jessica? Michael told me about your little jealous trip to the nightclub."

Hyde grinned as his eyebrow rose above the rim of his aviators. "Yeah, that was fun."

"Steven…"

"You know," Hyde puffed out his chest and drew his arms back to stretch. "It's actually none of your business where I'm going _or_ where I went last night, Jackie." He smacked his lips together. "If you were my girlfriend, I guess I'd have to tell you. Actually, if you were my girlfriend, I wouldn't have gone. But you're not, are you?" Smirking, Hyde opened the door. "So I'll talk to you later."

Jackie felt the muscles in her face begin to give and shake. "That's not fair, Steven."

"You started it, babe," he fleered. "I've gotta go."

Feeling like she might burst into tears at any moment, Jackie watched him walk out his bedroom door. Quickly, though, she forced those tears around and brewed them into anger just as Hyde peeked back in.

"You coming, or not?"

Jackie glared. "You have ten seconds, Steven, to make up for what you just said, or else I'm gonna be going home…_very_ pissed off!"

Hyde walked back into the room, stopping inches from her face. "Is that a threat, Jackie?"

"Nope," she replied disdainfully. "It's a fact, Steven."

Hyde remained unruffled, though; offering only a small, irreverent glare. "You fucked him, didn't you?"

"God," Jackie scoffed. "Is that _all_ you care about, Steven?" Feeding off his minimal reaction, Jackie rolled her eyes. "No, I didn't! Alright! I didn't sleep with him. You happy now?"

Hyde blinked. "I'm going somewhere with Kelso."

"And what about Jessica?"

"That's still none of your business."

Feeling her heart throttle her chest for the second time this morning, Jackie nodded slowly and fought back tears. "Is that so."

"That's so," he affirmed evenly. "I'll sever all ties…When you do. Until then…" Hyde raised his hands, shrugging apologetically, and walked out...

* * *

Parking Lot of the

Westinghouse Family Planning Clinic

One hour later

Hyde closed his eyes and dropped his head back. The inside of the el Camino smelled like her today. It was him. Her scent was all over his skin. He smelled like flowers now and spices and everything that made him feel good and warm inside. Hyde frowned. It was frustrating for him, thinking this way. But he was sick again. Something she always did, or said, or some way she did it, always left the 'sucker' mark on him. The girl _knew_ when to give him warm asylum, and eventually, like an idiot, he always fell right into her trap.

The problem was she knew exactly how to make a man remember her.

And her God damn memories were all over him now.

Hyde sneered and squinted down at his dashboard. This was pissing him off. Letting himself get hung up over Jackie again was probably the stupidest thing he had ever done. She was out of her mind, and had no idea what she wanted. He knew, though, deep down, that no matter how much she thought she wanted him, in the end, she would realize that it was something, or someone else entirely, that she would choose.

Suddenly, Hyde felt something sharp poke his upper arm. "Hey, what do you think of this song?" Kelso stuck the pen back in his mouth and frowned at his notepad. "I've been waiting for a girl like Brooke to come into my life…"

"No. No," Hyde waved him off, grimacing. "No more songs, Kelso."

"Why not?"

"Man." Hyde looked over. "Has it ever worked?"

After thinking about it, Kelso whipped his pen at the glove compartment. "Damn it, Hyde. Why do you always gotta do that?!"

"What, tell you the truth? State facts?"

"Yes!" Kelso replied irately. "What the hell am I supposed to do now? She won't answer my calls. I haven't seen my kids. I miss her, man, and in case you haven't noticed, you're a _sucky_ roommate. You're cranky, like, all the time now." Kelso folded his arms and raised his eyebrows with little apology. "And I just don't know how much more of you I can take."

"Me? You're the one who…" Hyde stopped and sighed. "Man. Whatever. So I'm cranky. So what?"

Kelso watched his friend suspiciously. "Well thank you for admitting that. I think that's a big step for you." Hyde rolled his eyes and nodded at this, startled when Kelso grabbed his arm and pointed rightward. "Hey! Look! Is that…Is that Brooke?"

As Hyde looked over and his jaw fell practically into his lap, not at Brooke, but at who she was with. "Holy shit. Is that…"

Immediately, Kelso began to panic. "I'm dead! I'm fucking dead, Hyde!"

"No! I'm the one who's dead," Hyde insisted, popping his car door open in a bigger and more frenzied panic. "I'm outta here, man! You're on your own!"

"Hyde," Kelso shouted, grabbing his friend by the shirt. "Don't you leave me, man!"

Hyde tried to wriggle free. "It's every man for himself, Kelso!"

"You owe me!" Kelso screeched. "You owe Brooke!"

Hyde stopped and took a big breath. "Fine," he grumbled and looked back. He straightened his shirt. "But this is bullshit that you're dragging me into this. That chick's probably gonna smack me."

"Why?"

"Because, Kelso! They don't like getting ditched after you nail 'em, you moron!" Hyde shook his head. "I totally blew her off and, look at her, she's still pissed." But then he grinned suddenly and looked over at Kelso. "Let's just hope it's at you."

"Thanks a lot, Hyde," Kelso muttered as Hyde nodded, happy to oblige. "Let's just go."

With little enthusiasm, they both exited the car, and it wasn't long before the women noticed both of them walking in their direction with figurative tails tucked between their legs. On either side of Brooke stood Christie and Allison, both men's dates from that night two years before. Thankful for the forethought to wear his shades, Hyde tried all he might not to look at the searing blonde while Kelso kept his eyes on the mother of his children.

He was amazed. She looked so beautiful, wrapped in her red wool coat underneath the shade of her umbrella. "Baby," he uttered. "I tried to call you to tell you but…"

"We need to talk." Brooke turned around and Kelso followed, leaving Hyde with an uncomfortable smirk and the girl he used to flirt with on occasion at his favorite bar. Of course, until he fucked her and then never went back.

The blonde folded her arms and raised her eyebrows.

"So…" Hyde started, rocking his head. "How's it goin', Al?"

"Don't talk to me."

"Alright."

Approaching the red brick of the clinic's façade, Brooke turned around and looked up at Kelso. "Michael…"

"I miss you so much," he couldn't help but let spill from his mouth. His eyes traced every curve of her face, especially her lips. He wanted to kiss her so badly. "I miss you. I miss the kids. How are they?"

"They miss you," she replied quietly. "Especially B. He keeps asking me why you can't just come home to watch Kermie with him."

Kelso's head fell; he felt like was going to cry, and being this close to her—the keeper of his heart—it didn't take long for the feigned wall of strength that he had been projecting for Hyde to finally begin tumbling down. His face twisted painfully, showing all the hurt he had been bottling. "I wanna come home. Baby. Please. I'm so sorry," Tentatively, he reached out toward her hips. "Please just_ try_ to forgive me. I need you. I…I'm a mess without you."

Brooke watched his hands move toward her and land on her hips. She made the quick decision not to push him away, to hear him out as he stepped closer.

"I love you so much, I…I feel sick, Brooke."

She took in a deep breath and brought her hands to rest on his upper arms. "Michael," She swallowed. "I need to ask you something, and you have to be completely honest with me. I told you a long time ago that I can deal with a lot of things, but not a liar."

"I know."

"How many times have you cheated on me?"

Kelso shook his head. "Baby, just that once. I swear to God. I don't even remember it. I was…" He gripped her hips tightly. "Look, okay, I've been with chicks since Betsy was born. I told you that. But not…"

"No, I mean after we moved in together."

Kelso shook his head adamantly this time. "No." He smiled suddenly and exhaled, grateful to finally know that all of his secrets were out. "No. Brookie, not once. Well…her," he pointed behind himself shamefully. "But that was it." Brooke only stared at him, her eyes shifting between his as he stepped in all the way up against her. "Did she tell you?"

Brooke nodded. It was quiet for a moment as the rain poured down, soaking Hyde a few yards away. But they were dry as they stood there, staring at each other. "I want you to take this test," she eventually said. "And if he's yours, we're gonna take him."

Kelso's eyes widened, his mouth opened, and a moment later, he inhaled deeply, indicating to her that he had not been breathing. "You're taking me back?"

"Don't make me out to be a fool, Michael."

Kelso shook his head and touched his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. "No. Baby," he laughed breathily in utter relief. "You're not a fool. I am," he whispered against her mouth. "_You're_ an angel…"

* * *

The Lakeside-South Marriot

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

5:47 p.m.

It had been a blustery day, glove and coat worthy to be sure. The Wisconsin sun was abandoning the sky early it seemed this evening, and ahead of Jackie, an ivory brick path snaked through shades of its vanishing light. Lining each side of it was a row of faint runway lamps and a lavish wall of evergreens, still covered in bright green leaves.

She looked up, for just the briefest of moments, to see the way the sun brightened and painted their tips with shades of yellow and orange, bringing fall to them for just a little while. But when she looked back down, Colin was already yards ahead of her.

"Colin."

He turned around with the same expression he had been wearing since the night before, and his irritation was only mounting, leaving two crabby men that she would have to deal with tonight.

Jackie walked up to him, not at all surprised when he ignored her outstretched hand. "Are you gonna be like this all night? 'Cause I have things I have to do tonight, Colin."

He frowned in bewilderment. "What the fuck did I say?"

"You didn't say anything," she explained, "But I see the look on your face."

"I don't have a look," he sneered.

Jackie put her hands up on her hips. "Oh, there's a look!" At that, Colin's jaw jutted forward, showing his aggravation. "See! There it is again!" she pointed.

"I should have stayed home," he muttered to the empty earth behind her.

"Well you couldn't," Jackie reminded him as she adjusted his shirt and smoothed her hand down the middle. "You're an usher. You need to know what to do."

"I know what to fucking do, Jackie. I'm not stupid," he argued in vain and pushed her fussing hands away. "And why can't I just be a guest like everyone else?"

"Because Brooke asked you to be an usher!" Jackie placed her fingers between her eyes, pinching away the headache she had had all week and wishing he would just stop being so angry with her. It was only discouraging her from what she had to do tonight. "Just, please, get in a better mood, okay?" She looked up and sighed. "I _know_ that you're mad at me." Colin simply placed his annoyed eyes back on her. "See, you're not even denying it."

"Nope."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Ugh!" She grabbed his hand and turned on her heel, determined to drag him inside if she had to. "Let's just go and get this over with…"

* * *

A few minutes later

When Colin shoved open the double doors to the ballroom, causing an enormous ruckus, Jackie felt her anxiety rise to an almost unbearable level. She cringed at the view, her cheeks flushing and burning hot. Centered in her line of sight was Hyde, seated on a tabletop with his elbows on his knees, surrounded by the entire gang. All eyes fell on her, but his blue ones were all that seemed alive tonight. There was an energy there that sparked like electricity, and she realized instantly that Colin's scowl was nothing compared to the one washing over Hyde's face right now, and that the thoughts behind it were far more worrisome.

"You coming?" she heard Colin's voice ring, not realizing how frozen she was until he tugged her forward by her hand.

"Where've you been? You're late," Brooke scolded, standing up. "Come on, gimme your coat."

Jackie slipped off her coat and handed it over. "Sorry. It just took us a…" She glanced nervously at Hyde, who was still staring at her hotly. "…a while to get ready."

At his back, Hyde felt a nudge and turned his head to find Eric's concerned face. "You alright?"

Hyde grimaced. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Eric put his hands up in submission. "I'm just checking, man. I know how you get."

"Hey." Kelso stuck his head into the conversation. "Are you gonna be cool, man? I don't need any trouble right now with Brooke. "

"Will you two shut up," Hyde grumbled through pinched teeth. "I'm fine." But he knew he wasn't. He was fucking pissed; so pissed that he could feel the air sear as it entered his heavy lungs. He looked everywhere else but at her; knowing if he looked at her, or him, or them together, he would blow like a God damn volcano.

"Look, Hyde," Eric leaned into his ear. "Maybe it's better if you just talk to her another time," he suggested. "Just leave it for tonight."

Hyde frowned back at his oldest friends, wondering why in the hell they were stressing out like two nervous women. He nearly said something but his hand was suddenly confiscated by Brooke and his body pulled off the table.

"Okay, Hyde. I need you to…" Brooke looked around in a huff for the wedding coordinator. "Where's Diane?"

"I'm right here," a small older woman shouted out, running over as she waved a white piece of paper. She stopped in front of Brooke and pointed at Hyde. "Which one is he?"

"He's the 'Best Man."

"Okay…Groom! Groom!" Diane yelled out scatteredly. "Where's the groom?"

All the girls looked behind Hyde's grimacing face to find Eric with the groom in a headlock and Fez quietly shoving a handful of malt balls into his mouth. All three men looked up and froze as the women in the room scowled disapprovingly at them. Only Colin laughed, wishing he was on that side instead of stuck with all the chicks.

He let go of Jackie's hand and headed in that direction. "I'm going over here."

Jackie tapped her foot lightly. "Colin." When he looked back, she gave a feigned smile that told him he better listen. "Come stand with me."

"No," he responded, instead continuing on and sitting down beside his candy-loaded counterpart. He held out his hand and, happily, Fez poured some in.

"Colin," Jackie called out sternly, turning angry as he stared at her defiantly and popped a candy in his mouth. "Ugh." She turned around to face Donna. "I hate men."

The red head laughed. "It's 'cause you try too much to control them. We've been over this."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Well what else is there to do with them, Donna?!"

"Alright, I need the groom to stand right here. Come on," Diane directed, now standing near a small stage. "And…you, black shirt…" she pointed. Hyde realized she was talking to him and moseyed over. "You're gonna stand here to his right, and let me see, you in the green sweatshirt…" Eric walked over. "You're next to him. And then you…with the candy…you're next to him."

Colin stayed on the table as all four men sat down on the stage in various positions of indolence. Hyde fell to his back and covered his eyes with his palms. "How long is this gonna take, man?"

Kelso shrugged, suddenly becoming excited. "Oh! Hey. You guys wanna have a thumb war?"

Eric nodded. "I'm in."

"Eh, I hate thumb wars," Fez grumbled and scooted in. "I always lose. My thumbs are lovers, not fighters."

Hyde sat up and presented his thumb. "I'm in, too." Hearing Fez's groan, he smacked him lightly in the head. "You, too!"

"Ai…"

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

"Alright, hang on," Kelso growled and pressed his necktie to his forehead, tying it into a knot around his head. He looked up and cracked his neck. "Let's do this."

Rolling his eyes, Hyde held out his thumb and eyed his friend.

Already disqualified, Eric held two hands over the dueling thumbs and looked from left to right. "This is to qualify for the championship. No double fingers. No nailies. No pushies, and no spitting… Kelso!" Eric glared over.

"What! I had a cramp!"

"In your mouth, man?" Hyde asked angrily, remembering the flying loogy coming straight at him.

"I have a condition!"

"Alright, whatever," Eric interrupted and nodded, quickly tossing up his hands. "And…go!"

Instantly, Hyde and Kelso began to thumb wrestle.

"You're going down, Hyde!"

"You suck, Kelso! I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"No, I'm gonna kick your…" Hyde's thumb pinned down Kelso's and Hyde began to laugh gloatingly. Kelso slammed the ground at his sides. "Damn! He's cheated!"

Hyde sat back and grinned. "It's over, man."

"Damn it!"

As Kelso scooted away and sulked, Hyde looked over forebodingly at Colin. "I guess it's just you and me then."

With a slight grin, Colin sat down in front of Hyde. The two eyed each other, silent as Eric laid down the rules. "This, my friends, is for the championship, all the glory, the bragging rights and the rest of Fez's malt balls…"

Still pissed off, Fez folded his arms. "I hate you guys."

"Best two out of three. No double fingers, no nailies, no pushies and no spitting. And…" Eric looked over a the girls. "Yeah, we've gotta hurry 'cause they're giving us that look again."

Colin situated himself better and stretched his arms and back as Kelso rubbed his shoulders to urge him on. "He's weak in the second bendy part of his thumb. Hit him low…"

Fez patted Hyde's hair. "You're gonna give me my malt balls back, right?"

"Yep."

The foreigner's eyes narrowed. "Tear that foreign bastard to shreds."

Colin and Hyde joined palms and raised their thumbs as Eric brought his hands down over the match.

"Now remember…"

Hyde could sense that his friend was speaking, setting the rules one final time and giving directions, but, as he stared his opponent down, all sound faded away, allowing twisted thoughts to begin to warp his overactive mind. It was fraught now with images of facts that he knew to be true, sounds that he knew she made in the heat of the moment, and everything that filled the void in between. This guy had touched her in all the same sensitive places he had—recently. Laid his lips there, too. Colin had fucked her more times than Hyde wanted to let himself believe, and it sickened him to think about. But, he tortured himself regardless, envisioning it clearly, considering every position, every thrust, with budding rage.

His adrenaline flowing, Hyde turned his head toward where Jackie stood watching him, her eyes glistening with concern. It was cruel, he was realizing, how beautiful she looked tonight, and he wondered briefly if she had done it to fuck with him. When he blinked, though, she turned and walked off, disappearing down a hallway. He returned his eyes to the game, wondering if Colin still did those things to her, if the hand against his had touched her today, somewhere that Hyde now considered to be his, somewhere that made her moan and close her eyes. Somewhere that made her scream. Or, come. Hyde shut his eyes. The room was spinning.

"And…Go!"

Inside a small food preparation hall, Brooke grabbed Jackie's hand. "I need to talk to you. Come here." Her longer strides forced Jackie to jog along behind her friend.

"What? What's going on?" she asked as Brooke turned around.

"Jessica called Donna last night…"

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

"Black shirt!" Hyde looked up. "Cuff your arm, sweetie, so she can slip her arm inside."

"Oh…yeah." He looked to his right at Jackie and hooked arms with her. They would be the last to walk away before the bride and groom. They would walk down an isle together, just like she had nagged him about for a full year, only in the wrong damned direction.

"We need to talk," Jackie whispered as they walked.

Hyde held his indifferent expression, though. "What for?"

"Steven," she scolded and pinched his forearm. "I'm gonna say I need to go to my car for something. You know that path that leads down to the water?"

"No."

"When you first come in, that left with the sign about the dock."

"Yeah."

"Meet me right there. But wait a few minutes after I leave," she said and pulled away from him, instantly walking back over toward Colin, who sat alone, nearly asleep at one of the tables.

When he turned in the opposite direction, he ran straight into Kelso. "Don't mess this up for me, Hyde."

"I'm not. Will you chill out?" Hyde sat down in a huff, about ready to ditch the whole scene. He needed a joint. A fucking drink, something…

* * *

Fourteen Minutes Later

It was a foolish risk to take, she knew, but her mind was growing desperate and the night was beginning to spin threateningly around her. Every blurred glance felt like slow motion and every one of Colin's whispers felt like a betrayal. They stuck to her like glue, along with the sullen ache in Hyde's blue eyes.

Her heels continued to click across the brick path, the rustling trees shielding her from the main building while the growing darkness encumbered her forward movement. She knew he was behind her somewhere; she could feel his energy closing in on her. But she would not stop. The further they got from that unforgiving crowd and the closer they came to the riverfront, the more he would open up and give in to her. That was what she told herself as she searched for moonlit waves between the trees, the dock, anything. Alone, they were free, and in the dark, they were everything.

The only trouble was, Jackie was noticing as she walked, there was no moon tonight. It was hidden far above a slew of black storm clouds.

Finding herself no longer on brick, but in dirt, and now completely enveloped by trees, she stopped and looked around. "Damn it." She was lost and couldn't see what surrounded her anymore. It was the second right turn past the gazebo, then straight down to the water. Or was it the first turn? Where was that sign? "Ugh!" Looking up to the pitch black treetops, Jackie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "God."

"Jackie?"

She turned her head toward the sound of his voice. "Steven?"

"Yeah. Where the hell are you? I can't see anything."

"I'm right here," she practically pleaded. "Steven." Desperate to find him, she back-tracked slowly toward his voice, her arms held out as her eyes strained to achieve enough night vision to see him. "Steven. I can't see you."

"I'm right here. Keep walking."

As she walked blindly, Jackie smiled. He was getting closer, moving toward her, too. "I've been thinking about you," she told the darkness.

"Yeah?"

He was so close.

"Yes," Jackie responded earnestly just as the tips of her fingers reached his stomach. "Oh, thank God." Frantically, she brought them to his face and threw her body at his, crashing hard into him.

Since her very first kiss, a dare in a friend's closet, it struck Jackie fascinating the way one could find another's lips in the dark and, tonight, she found Hyde's with ease and drove her tongue far into his mouth, desperate to show him just how much he had been missed. Her knees buckled helplessly on contact, her chest aching as his mouth reciprocated the same message, caressing hers with twice her zeal. It felt good to be loved, and missed, and wanted, but by him, it felt earth shattering.

"God," she gasped within a breath. "Let's go away, Steven." As she raised her lips to the sky to speak, she felt his mouth drink in her skin, from her chin down to sensitive base of her throat. He was parched for her. She could feel it in the muscles in his hands and arms, the way they touched her and held her "Just you and me… Please, Steven."

He grabbed her face and kissed her deeply again, shutting her up momentarily. But she would not relent. "I'm serious. Let's go."

Hyde smiled drunkenly and tried to kiss her again. "Where do you wanna go?"

Jackie backed her head away. "Let's…" She swallowed, trying to will her fear of rejection away. She stared cravingly at the darkened outline of his lips and kissed them. It was when these ideas, and these pleas, came to her that he recoiled. It was always when he turned.

"What, Jackie?" Hyde asked, his eyes finally adapting to the dark, his memory returning. "And what the hell's going on? Why haven't you broken up with him yet?"

"Because I can't."

"What the hell do you mean 'You can't'?"

Sighing, Jackie grabbed his hand and directed his finger to trace over the delicate stone that Colin had placed on hers. "Feel." He gripped her hand tight, and she watched him stare at the immeasurable gift, unable to get a clear impression of the look on his face. It appeared as still as that stone, though, which worried her.

Hyde dropped her hand and looked back up to her jittering eyes, not saying a word, and not asking a single question. His head assured him that he wouldn't like the answer.

"He asked me to marry him, Steven."

"Yeah, I can see that." Hyde forced in some air through his nose and let his eyes lose their focus, controlling his anger as a chill ran up his spine and hit the base of his skull. "Why's it on your finger, Jackie?"

She looked down as her right hand toyed with the object in question. "I didn't say 'yes' if that's what you're wondering." Gingerly, she looked up. "I told him I had to think about it."

Hyde shook his head and moved to turn around.

"Wait." Jackie stopped him and forced his stiffened body back toward her. Her hands quickly secured a tight grip on his belt to try and keep him in place. He was known to flee, the stubborn shit. He was famous for it. "Just listen to me. I didn't bring you out here to tell you that." Anxious for him to look at her, she shook his waist violently. "Look at me! This is important!"

Only callously, though, did Hyde comply. "What?"

"Marry me."

He grimaced. "What?"

"Marry me, Steven." With wide, anxious eyes, Jackie pulled him closer. "We can go to… well, not Vegas but, I don't know, Atlantic City, or Niagara Falls, or someplace, and get married." She nodded, half-excited, half-afraid, but completely serious. "Tonight, Steven. We can go tonight. I'll break up with him. I'll tell him everything." Raising her chin, she touched her lips to his and kissed him. "We could get a really great room and make love all day. It won't be raining there, Steven. And you saw Superman; they have fireplaces in the hotel rooms in Niagara…"

"Jackie, what the hell are you talking about? You were supposed to break up with him five days ago. And now you're…" He yanked her hands from his belt and stepped away for a second to pace and soak in what she was saying. "Let me get this straight. He asked you to marry him and you didn't say 'no."

Jackie winced. "Right."

"And now you wanna marry _me_?"

"Exactly," she smiled nervously and stepped closer. "Steven, listen to me. You were right. We were too young before. And it was wrong of me to keep pushing you. But we're older now, and if you marry me, I'll know that you're serious."

"Serious about what?"

"About me, you idiot!"

Hyde scoffed and shook his head. "Jesus Christ, Jackie. I broke up with my girlfriend for you. I've told you all that crap you were always bitching at me to say. What the hell else do you want?"

Jackie frowned. "That I was bitching at you to say?"

"Don't do that," he pointed. "You know what I meant."

Jackie inhaled deeply. "You know what? Fine! But I need more." With more tenacity than before, she grabbed him by the belt again and yanked him toward her. "He wants to commit to me. He wants kids and a house and a life with me, Steven! And…I'm willing to say 'no' to all of it, for you. But…Look. I just need to know that you're willing to offer me the same thing!" Bringing her voice to a soothing level, Jackie slid her arms around his waist and hugged him into place. "I'm not gonna lie to you, Steven. I still love him. He means the world to me. And if this had never happened between you and me, I would have said yes to him. But…"

Hyde furrowed his eyebrows deeply. "That's all you care about, isn't it?"

"What?"

He took a close look at her, feeling as though he was in a time warp. It was her same mantra: marriage, kids, a house, the life. She hadn't changed a fucking day in the last five years. "Who's willing to marry you," he clarified evenly. Fraught with offense, Jackie let go of him and dropped her arms to her sides. "It's not about me _or_ him; is it?" he continued, shifting his feet. "You don't give a shit about either one of us. It's whoever's gonna give you that damn ring."

"That's not even it, Steven!"

"What did it cost him, Jackie?" He grabbed her hand and puckered his chin. "Five thousand? Ten?"

Worried she might cry if he continued, Jackie yanked her hand away and stepped back. "It cost him everything he had!" she spat in defense of her boyfriend.

"Yeah, I'll bet. Being with you usually does." Shaking his head, Hyde straightened his back and blew out a sarcastic breath. "Well… I don't have the money for a ring like that, so I guess I lose then, right?"

"No!" Jackie answered ardently. "I don't _want_ a ring from you, Steven. That's not what I was saying." Her scowl deepened. "And stop being a jerk! I just wanna know that this is it. That's all I ever wanted, Steven. That's all I ever fucking meant! Every time I brought up marriage, I just wanted to know that you wanted me." She smacked his chest hard. "That I was _important_ to you! You would never tell me you loved me." She shook her head. "You acted like you were just biding time with me until someone better came along."

Hyde fleered, indignant at the way she viewed things. She had no idea. "So, what, if I don't run off with you to…" He flipped his hand up. "Atlantic fucking City, or wherever, then you're gonna go marry_ him_ instead?"

Jackie's face fell flat. "Yes."

Hyde's contemptuous smile fell, too, his expression instantly turning bitter. "Is that so."

"That's so," Jackie answered, still stone-faced, only her eyes relaying the rest of the message.

Growing aggravated, Hyde began to rock from the waist up. "Then do it," he snarled. "Have a nice fucking life, Jackie. I hope you and your ring'll be very happy together." He moved to turn around again, but was stopped, this time by her tearful gasp.

"But I want _you_."

"No, you don't!" Hyde turned back around. "It has nothing to do with me, Jackie. You want someone to marry. And that's it."

She shook her head with absolution. "No… I just don't wanna wake up in three years and find you with some skank, or Jessica, because you got pissed at me or bored because all of this was just some temporary feeling that's gonna disappear." Jackie took a breath. "Like it did before." Her shoulders sunk as she exhaled and watched him. His face was scrunched into a scowl as if she had just proposed the most ridiculous question he had ever heard. "Why are you looking at me like I'm crazy, Steven? I don't get it. You say you love me but you won't marry me, but you'll marry a stranger."

"God," Hyde huffed exasperatingly. "Fucking Christ. Is this about Sam again?"

Her lips pursing, Jackie held her ground. "Yes."

"God damn it, Jackie," he cursed quietly. "She was a mistake! How many times do I gotta say it?" As his anger intensified, his voice did as well, making her shudder. "It was an accident! I don't even remember doing it!"

"Well I remember. And you made the decision stayed with her. Sober," she reminded him sternly. "Because marriage is important to you. _So_ important that you wouldn't even waste it on me."

"No." Hyde stepped forward. "I didn't want to jump into marriage _because_ it was important to me. We weren't _ready_! But you know what I realized, Jackie?" he added derisively. "Marriage sucks. My parents were married and it made them hate each other. Look at your parents. You know. Your mother was partying in Mexico while your dad sat in jail. Marriage is crap!"

"It's not crap, Steven!" Jackie shot back pleadingly. "Don't say that! It can be beautiful. Just look at the Formans."

Hyde scoffed disdainfully. "We're not the Formans, Jackie."

Maybe it was the way he had said it or the possible truth behind his words, but something in what he said made her cry and she frantically worked to salvage her face. "Fine." As she carefully swept her fingers beneath her dampening eyes, Jackie looked around them and took a few tentative steps backwards, finally noticing that a wall lined this section of the brick path. There was no other way out of here, except past him. And at this moment, trapped in this spot, Kevin's words were beginning to haunt her.

Jackie closed her eyes, squeezing the first teardrop free. _It feels incredible_, he had warned her, _but the feeling fades_. Love—or whatever it had been—disappears. And then what's left? Lies and anger and mistrust and resentment and fear and a past that she was realizing had not, in fact, been left behind. It had only been trampled over and forgotten for a while, leaving denial to reign.

She had to think about herself now, her own future, while she was still fresh from the feeling, having had only dipped her toe in the possibility of him. It had taken time, long ago, to wriggle free of his grip, but she had done it. She had experienced the pain with grace and lived through it. And this, too, would pass. It would have to.

Opening her eyes, Jackie looked up at Hyde and drew in an exhaustive breath, forcing in a little courage. A belief in fate made her rise on her toes and lean forward to kiss his bristly cheek. "Bye, Puddin'."

Quickly, she tried to step around him, but was stopped when he caught her hand. "Hey." When she looked up, his expression had changed, his eyes hinting now at desperation, but his willfulness prevailed through stubborn lips. "I'm not saying it would never happen, okay. I'm just not gonna be threatened into marriage, Jackie."

Subtly, she nodded, understanding. "I know," she said gently. "You do what you have to do, Steven. And I'm gonna do what I have to do."

His face fell with the realization that she was serious. "So, what… that's it then?"

"Are you gonna marry me, Steven?"

Hyde swallowed. "No," he said dryly.

Jackie shrugged ruefully. "Then that's it," she confirmed, wondering what in the hell had come over her to believe that he ever would. He had seemed ready. And she needed this guarantee. She needed some comfort and the security of knowing that he would be hers, tough times or not, in sickness and in health, and in those moments when he teetered on the edge, when she was not there to pull him back.

Silently, Jackie watched his expression subtly move from anger to hurt and back again. "Fine," was all he muttered as he let go of her hand.

Jackie did not move, though. She didn't want to leave. They were supposed to be driving to freedom right now, watching it all disappear in the rearview mirror with her head on his shoulder in the dark radio-lit cabin of the el Camino. He was supposed to be smiling, pleading with her to stop kissing him, that he couldn't see the road. She had wished for it all day. She had been willing to give him her life tonight, her future, but he had to want it. He had to take it or leave it. There was no in between. But it was always the grand gesture that he failed at. Somewhere just before the event horizon, he always stalled and backed away.

"I love you," she told him and began to walk as fast as her Gucci's would carry her. Maybe she was being selfish, and maybe she was being demanding, but she had just given him his umpteenth opportunity to have her for life. And, following his own precedent, he had passed, because when it came to her, and to the truth inside him, he always, always passed.

Hyde knew it, too, as he watched her walk away. He was a coward. And in his head, the past few weeks with her flashed. Every moment. Every day. It all seemed like a weird dream now. The images. The rain. The way the warm water felt on their skin beneath his shower. It had simply been _water,_ but it was more than that. It was the way she smiled up at him from inside the cocoon of his sheets. The way she had clung to him on that ship like she had never let go. He could have opened his mouth. He could have yelled out her name. He could have put her in his car and driven all night. He could have stopped her right there and averted everything that was about to happen.

Because if he had known, if he could have seen the things to come, he wouldn't have been so still. He wouldn't have let her walk away, again.

To Be Continued…

**A/N2:** Please review, without being mean. I'm already kind of losing my mojo to write and it'll just discourage me further. Yell at Jackie and Hyde all you want, though; this is all their stupid fault anyway. Hehe. Love you guys. Mwah!


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: Wrapped Around Your Finger**

**A/N: **Thank you so much for those reviews. You guys are so incredible—even the meanies, thank you for taking a vacation. I really need it right now. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry about this chapter. I know I've said this before but I'm pretty positive this time that I'm gonna lose readers. I've probably stepped over the line but I'm not willing to change the story. I've just put too much work into this to chicken out five chapters before the ending. It was hard as hell to write and it'll be even harder to read. It's gonna seem bleak. And I understand if you wanna stop reading the story. Just please go quietly without yelling at me. I'm nearly burnt out, but I'm trying and I already feel bad enough. This is just the way it has to happen. It's gonna make more sense later. So no skipping or you'll miss some important stuff. As Jackie would say: 'Suck it up.'

**Special Side Note**: Yay! On Monday night, I called Danny during his radio show and asked him a very important zennie question: what he thought of season 8 and Jackie and Hyde's break-up and I am very pleased to announce that Mr. Danny Masterson (Steven Hyde) claims that he _did, _in fact, care about what happened, he didn't like it, he hated it, he hated all of it, but that there was nothing he could do about it. He also agreed with me that Jackie and Hyde should have ended up together!! VICTORY! (And he talked about me on air! Squee! He loves me!) More Information on my profile.

Anyway, –Deep breath-, Here goes…

**Music:** (In order)

Dancing with Myself: Billy Idol

Head Over Heels: Tears For Fears

Wrapped Around Your Finger: The Police

Someone Saved My Life Tonight: Elton John

* * *

Do you need some time on your own  
Do you need some time all alone  
_Everybody_ needs some time on their own…

* * *

Soft waves of heat pulsated and then pulled away, only to return all over again. Like warm water, thick and supple, they rolled and tumbled over him, each one made up of various shades of pink and blue, swirled in between heavy contours of beige. He could sense the consciousness behind these visions, the thoughts behind his eyes. They belonged to him, and a deep breath entered loudly, hissing and winding into his body like a snake. 

He was alive.

Hyde opened his eyes, and in that very instant, the sweet, soothing hum that only female vocal cords can compose coated over him. "Mmmmmmm…" Another wave arrived, and in came breath from life that was not his, willowy and warm, just behind his ear. "Wanna do it again?"

Hyde grinned sluggishly. He had ached for this, long before deciding that one night stands got the job done but they felt nothing at all like this. All of his moron friends had been right. Damn it. There was just something cool about having a chick all his own. Deny all he want, but they were connected now, and he had never before been this far inside someone, never before had someone been this far inside him. It was usually nauseating, the thought; and it would be again soon, but for now, it was simply relief because, as pissed off as he had been, this feeling trumped everything.

Another throb struck Hyde and his consciousness rose. He could feel it treading just below the surface. Was this memory or dream? He wasn't sure, but he felt naked when her hands began to gently paint over his skin, up his arm and down the large muscles of his back. He thought he felt a kiss land between his shoulder blades. "I missed you." Her words came in a billowy whisper. "I thought about you so much."

Hyde rolled in place to his other side and snuggled himself in closer to her, nuzzling his face between her head and the pillow. "You sure you weren't thinking about Kelso?"

There was pressure on his shoulders and he was moved back slightly. He knew immediately by the exhausted look of indignation on her face that she was aware of her missteps. Yes, he had fucked up, too; he had cheated, but he never once claimed to want anyone else but her. Since one muggy summer night, only a year before, it had been her. He had bared himself to her, admitted that he was in love, a risk, and a mistake, he decided that he would never make again. He could never let her know, because to admit how hard he had fallen would have meant death or something like it, but she had broken his heart.

Hyde watched her shake her head. "Steven…I was hurt, okay. There was never really a decision to make…I wanted you." Jackie popped up onto her elbow. "But I was mad at you, and I wanted to make you suffer for what you did to me."

Hyde grimaced. "So what you're saying is you acted like you wanted Kelso just to teach me a lesson?"

"Well, yeah," she admitted. "What respectable girl wouldn't? And you deserved it. You broke my heart, Steven. Out of everyone, I thought that at least you…"

Blocking her words, Hyde kissed her quickly. "Alright. I get it. I'm still pissed," he pointed, "but I get it." Shrugging, he let it all go and laid his head back down on the pillow. "I probably would've done the same thing."

Jackie frowned. "You would've?" He nodded and rose to kiss her again. Her stiff lips had tried so hard not to smile, but they failed and Jackie began to laugh. Her soft palms landed on his cheeks, making him close his eyes as a giggling kiss landed on his mouth. "Puddin' Pop, we're such a dysfunctional couple."

Hyde shook his head and smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way, babe."

They had kissed then and fooled around, rolled and tumbled, laughed and slept; they had relearned every turn, retraced every curve; they had decided that there would be no more games, no more stupidity and no more misunderstandings. And Hyde's brain wondered as consciousness pulled him into the real world how two teenagers, higher than kites, could make it right while he and that grown girl couldn't get it right if they tried…

**Friday**

**November 23, 1984**

**10:37 a.m.**

**The Forman Residence**

…Hyde sat up slowly and looked around. It had been years since he had woken up in this place. No longer did posters line its walls; nor did the smell of smoke linger heavily in the air. The only remnants that remained of his time here was the cot below him and the string of pink twinkle lights that were still coiled around the air duct and all around the small room.

Groaning, Hyde pushed the blankets off of him and sat up. He was still tired and, in spite of the hedonistic amount of alcohol he had ingested the night before, he was still thinking about her. His hand rose to feel the thick stubble on his face. All he had to do was take her away. Marry her. But the thought made him shake his head and rub his aching eyes. She never changed. It was the same damn argument, the same knife, five years and million miles away. Marriage.

Feeling the fall morning chill, Hyde stood up and stretched, still dressed in the clothes from the night before. If he wasn't so exhausted still, he might have punched something but he _was_ and the walls were concrete so they were safe for now. With any real luck, he would run into Kelso later and just take it out on him.

Turning the corner into the basement, he heard the television and frowned in curiosity, stopping instantly upon the sight of blond hair and blue eyes, holding a basket of laundry.

Laurie grimaced. "Oh _God_. What are _you_ doing here?" she sneered. "I thought you had your own place?"

Hyde shook his head. All he needed. "I do," he grumbled and walked into the basement.

"So then what the hell are you doing sleeping here, you bum?"

"Bartender took my keys."

"Oh," Laurie replied, nodding as she headed for the couch. "Yeah, I've had that happen." She sat down as Hyde headed toward a small refrigerator beside the sink. She had just begun to fold a pair of pants when a wicked smiled washed over her face. "Oooh, wait! You're busted, aren't you," she nodded happily.

Hyde grabbed a beer and turned around. "How do you figure?"

"Well isn't little 'Miss Perfect' gonna be upset that her precious 'Steven' didn't come home last night?" Gloating, Laurie mocked him with a silent laugh and returned to her laundry. "So what were you doing, anyway? Picking up another wife from the strip club?"

Hyde opened his can. "Nah, I don't do that around here. I don't wanna get too smashed one night and accidentally bring _you_ home." He finished off the burn with a smirk and waited, but Laurie simply looked down woefully and grabbed another shirt from the basket.

Noticing that the fight appeared to be an unfair one this morning, Hyde sighed and walked over to his chair, taking another guzzle from his beer as he plopped down. "We broke up."

Laurie looked over glumly. "Oh," she responded sympathetically. "Well how come?"

"None of your business."

She rolled her eyes away but frowned, and brought them back to him. "Well, so… Aren't you a little bummed, though? I mean, I thought you really liked her."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Yeah, me, too," Laurie shrugged. "Me and _my_ guy broke up a couple days ago."

Hyde smiled. "So what was the problem? You're not bringing in enough cash like the other girls?" He waited again, but each passing second of her silence only made him feel shittier. His shoulders sunk. " Aw, come on, Laurie. That was funny." He watched her shrug and pathetically fold another pair of jeans. "Man, you must you be really bummed out about this guy; you didn't even have one bitchy comeback about my mom."

"I know," she sulked. "I don't know what's wrong with me lately."

Hyde shrugged and drank his beer, but stopped as a warm, familiar scent filled him. "Hey, is that pancakes up there?"

"Yeah, my mom's making blueberry pancakes."

Wasting not another second, Hyde shot up from his chair and probably made it about halfway up the stairs when Laurie turned around excitedly.

"Oh!" she screeched. "Well I was bringing in more than your mom!"

Hyde stopped and grinned, showing his approval with a nod. "Nice," he said as he continued up the steps while Laurie smiled and raised her shoulders, feeling proud of herself as she returned to her laundry...

* * *

Jackie's Apartment

Same Time

"Ow!" Jackie stuck her thumb in her mouth and swore. "Fuck!" She ran over to the sink and turned on the cold water. "Damn it." Just as she ran her reddening thumb beneath the water, there was a knock at the door. "Hang on," she called out in her most ladylike voice. Her burnt finger hurt like hell but she knew who was at the door and she couldn't let him see that she was having a difficult time.

Jackie grabbed a kitchen towel to dry her hand and headed for the door.

Colin knocked again. "Jackie!" He raised his head when she swung the door open with a smile.

"Hey, honey!"

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Colin rushed inside and looked around. "What's the emergency?" At first, he missed the smell and sound of bacon frying. All he could think about was the frantic sound in her voice when she had called. He turned around. "Jackie, what's going on?"

Jackie smiled, wiggling her hips a little, which drew his attention to her dress. It was something out of the fifties maybe, and it was topped by a frilly apron. "You hungry?"

"Jackie…" He stepped forward, slightly bemused. "Baby. What…" He looked around and had a thought. "Why aren't you at work?"

"I called out."

"I thought you didn't have any sick-time left?"

"Well I don't, but this is a special occasion," she explained and walked past him toward the kitchen. "I made biscuits, too. They're in the oven."

Colin frowned, finally noticing the overwhelming smell of food cooking. "You cooked?" He turned around.

"Uh huh."

Curious, Colin followed her into the kitchen, his mouth opening at the sight of it. It was clean and on the counter was a plate stacked with toast. On the stove was a pan-full of eggs and another pan with six sizzling strips of bacon. His eyes darted from item to item suspiciously. "Who did this?"

Jackie laughed. "I did it. I cooked," she exclaimed proudly, her arms spreading.

"You touched eggs? But I thought…" Then he noticed, tucked in the corner beside the breadbox, a pair of her winter gloves covered in egg slime. Colin held back a laugh. "Baby…" His attention back on her beautiful face, he stepped over and placed his hands on her hips. "Did you do this for me?"

She nodded. "Does it look good?"

"It looks incredible. What made you do all this?"

"Well…" Jackie looked around the kitchen and then at him. "I just wanna be the perfect spouse for you. I wanted you to see that you'll be proud to call me your trophy wife."

Colin laughed amorously and then it hit him. "So…Are you saying…"

Jackie nodded. "I'm saying 'Yes'… I'll marry you." She offered him her best semi-pout, knowing that she had pushed her luck with him in the past week, but through it all, for the most part, he had tolerated it. And now she had to make him forget.

Obviously relieved, Colin smiled and held her head while he kissed her. The feeling it gave her made her smile and giggle against his lips; she was feeling like she had made the right decision—to stick with who was willing to make the commitment she had been waiting for her entire life. This was right, she told herself. This was how she had always imagined it should be. And now he would be her future, and she would focus on him to make it right, make him see what a perfect wife she would make so that in ten days, when she would have to tell him, maybe he would forgive her. It was karma, she figured. In the past, she had forgiven; and now it was her turn to_ be_ forgiven.

Jackie placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back a little. "Colin, I'm not gonna be like my mother. I don't think she loved my daddy, but I love you and, I swear, if you ever get arrested for embezzlement, I'll come home from Mexico." She scoffed, shaking her head as she thought back to her mother's tales of tequila and tanned cabana boys. "You know what, I won't even _be_ in Mexico, Colin. I hate spicy food!"

Colin smiled. "I know…" He looked around. "Jackie, you don't need to prove anything to me. I love you no matter what."

"Really?"

"Really." After giving her a small kiss, Colin happily grabbed a piece of toast from behind her back and took a bite, silently remarking that he was impressed. "Though, I'm not against you learning to cook something other than spaghetti."

Jackie laughed and smacked his chest. "I _knew_ you were sick of my spaghetti…"

It was heaven. That smell. Pancakes made by the coolest mom on earth. They just tasted better coming from her. But, damn, he would have to admit he was here. Hyde stepped back onto the stairway's top landing. He wasn't past waiting for her to leave and stealing what was leftover, but then it would be cold.

"Damn it." Willing to take the lecture as dues for her pancakes, Hyde blew out a breath and casually strolled into the kitchen as if it was 1978 all over again. He walked past Kitty and sat down at the table next to Red, offering only a smile at the older man's deeply set grimace.

Immediately, Hyde began to slap pancakes onto an empty plate as Red and Kitty looked on. He pointed to the bottle of syrup in Red's hand.

"You done with that?"

Red pulled the bottle toward himself. "Why are you in my house?" He looked desperately over at his wife. "Kitty. I thought we got rid of them all? They're like roaches. They keep coming back."

Kitty sighed. "Steven."

Hyde looked up, his hand still spreading butter over his hotcakes. "Yeah."

Exasperated, Kitty shook her head. "Well Laurie's downstairs with a suitcase, moping about some boy, and now you're here I want to know what's going on. Did you spend the night," she asked, noticing his condition. His hair was a mess and sheet lines were still impressed in his cheeks.

Hyde looked between the two Formans. "Uh…Yeah, the bartender last night threatened to call the cops if I didn't give up my keys. I pulled the wrong house key off." He nodded and looked between them again. They were silent and Red looked even more vexed than before, so Hyde just decided to get back to his pancakes.

"Wait a minute…" Kitty stepped closer and placed her hands on her hips. "You were at a bar last night?"

Hyde didn't look up. "Uh huh."

Immediately, she placed her hand on his forehead and wobbled with anger. "Well what was Jessica thinking?! Huh?! You're a _sick_ boy; you shouldn't be out drinking at a bar in your condition!"

"No." Hyde looked up. "I'm fine now. I'm not sick anymore."

Kitty turned around. "I'm getting the thermometer."

"Kitty, sit down," Red pointed at her seat, making her sheepishly turn back around. "The boy said he's not sick." He waited. "Sit. Eat."

Her expression angry, Kitty looked between both men and sat. "Fine. But I'm calling that girl later to give her a piece of my…"

"No," Hyde insisted. "Don't bother. We broke up."

"Oh…" Kitty's eyes widened as a thought struck her. "Ohhh!! She didn't…about…Jackie, did she? That poor girl!"

"No." Hyde shook his head and took a bite of his pancakes. "No_. I_ broke up with _her_." He raised his shoulders. "I figured it was the right thing to do."

"Oh. Well…" Pouting sympathetically, Kitty lifted off her chair and kissed his head. "You're right. It was the right thing to do. But it's still such a shame."

Confused as hell, Red grimaced. "You broke up with the quiet one?"

"Huh? Yeah," Hyde responded as he cut into his pancakes again.

Kitty leaned toward her husband. "He was having an affair with Jackie," she whispered conspiratorially.

Hyde sulked in his seat. "Mrs. Forman…"

Red frowned curiously. "With the loud one again?"

"Well Steven…" Kitty began to stack her own plate with pancakes. "You know I always thought Jessica was really good for you. She… She's a good girl, but I always knew how you felt about Jackie. It was a shame what happened with the two of you. So I have to admit I'm glad you've both gotten your heads out of your rears and have decided to try again."

"Yeah, well we're not," Hyde grumbled and took a bite.

Kitty dropped her fork loudly. "Excuse me? Why not?"

"Can we not talk about this?"

"Because she ditched him," Hyde heard come in a female voice behind him. He turned and saw Donna.

"Oh, Donna!" Kitty smiled. "Where's Eric?"

"He went to class early." Donna sat down at the table across from Hyde. "So did Hyde tell you what Jackie did to him?"

Kitty turned to Hyde. "What did Jackie do to you? You tell me right now."

"Well whatever it is," Red stood up from the table. "He'll forgive her." He looked down at Hyde. "Won't you, son?" The older man raised his eyebrows and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Hyde with the simply, but stern, message he was given.

"Anyway," Donna started. "They made an agreement. He would break up with Jessica and she would break up with Colin. They were gonna move in together. But right after he dumped Jess, Jackie backed out."

"Well why would she do that?" Kitty asked, suddenly upset.

Donna raised her eyebrows and looked at Hyde. "Because Colin slapped a six-thousand dollar engagement ring on her little midget finger."

Kitty's jaw dropped and she looked over at Hyde. "Steven, is that true?"

Hyde set a stern stare on Donna and pressed his tongue to the back of his teeth. "Look, it's fine. She can do whatever the hell she wants." He stood up.

"Steven, sit down." Kitty pointed as Hyde stopped in place. "_Sit_, young man," she repeated sternly making Hyde, once again, take his seat. "Now what happened?"

"Nothing." Pausing there, Hyde glanced between Donna and Kitty. Both were staring at him expectantly and he knew he wasn't getting out of this one. "Fine, alright. She asked me if I was willing to run off with her and get…" He threw his hand up. "…freaking married and I said no… I'm not ready for that." Grinding his jaw, embarrassed to even be admitting it, Hyde shook his head. "So…she picked him." He sat back in his seat.

Kitty gasped. "That little…" She lowered her eyes pensively as the anger seemed to dissolve from her face. Taking a deep breath, she raised her eyes again at Hyde and winced. "You know, I think…I think I might understand." She looked at Donna, who was frowning. "When I was in high school, I dated _Richard Tremble_. Oh, he was so handsome, like Carey Grant, and all the girls were falling over themselves for him, but, of course," she smiled, "he chose me. Well when prom night came around, I was just so excited. We'd been dating for months and I had my dress all picked out. It was the nicest shade of sky blue and he had the matching cummerbund and bowtie. But _then…_ the jerk never showed."

Donna shook her head. "That's terrible."

"You're damn right it is. And do you know wanna know _why_ he didn't show up?"

Interested to know, Donna sat forward. "Why?"

"Because I refused to put out like a loose Louise, that's why!"

Hyde and Donna both groaned.

"That's right. Kitty Sigurdson was not a whore!"

Grimacing, Hyde shook his head at Donna. "You had to ask."

"That two-timing gigolo went with that hussy _Janice Valenko_, instead!" Kitty cried out angrily. "Well when it came time for summer and Janice had gone off Mormon summer camp that snake tried to win me back and I said 'No having it, Mister!' You had your chance! I knew he would just ditch me for the next red-headed hussy. No offence, Donna."

Noticing the guilted look on Hyde's face, Kitty stopped. "Oh, Steven, honey, I'm not saying you're a Richard Tremble. But well…" She cringed. "Coming home with a stripper…" Shaking her head, she looked over at Donna, who looked down, and then back at Hyde. "Marrying her, the very thing Jackie had been dreaming about with you, well you have to understand how that probably made her feel. It's no wonder she's being cautious…It doesn't feel good to be abandoned. I would think you, of all people, would understand that."

Hyde swallowed and looked down. He figured so much. He knew he had done it to himself, knew from those first drunken tears of hers in the hotel room in Chicago that her wounds were fresh. He'd never tended to them. And if anyone would know, if there was anyone he could ask, it was this woman. Hesitantly, Hyde looked up. "So what do I do?"

* * *

Kelso Residence

12:47 p.m.

"What time are you gonna be back?!"

With her front doorknob in hand, Brooke looked over at Jackie and shrugged. "What do you think? Four?"

Jackie shrugged.

"Four, I guess!" Brooke yelled back to Kelso's mother. "Maybe five! Michael should be home by three, though, so you can leave if you want!" She shut the door, leading Jackie to finally let her face fall. She threw her hands in the air.

"Okay, what the hell was that!"

"What?"

"What do you mean what?" Jackie asked as they both began to head toward Brooke's minivan. "That girl! Why am I being nice to her, Brooke?! She slept with Michael!"

"Well so did you, and I'm nice to you," Brooke smiled snottily.

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "You _know_ what I mean, Brooke."

Both girls got inside the van and shut the doors. "Look. I don't know what it is, but I can't bring myself to be angry at her." Brooke shook her head. "I don't know why, but I just believe them when they say it was awful." She looked over at a stunned looking Jackie. "And I think I forgive them. I mean, I have to."

"No, you don't," Jackie sneered.

"Well what _else_ can I do, Jackie? My options are to never forgive them and live without Michael my whole life, and make my kids grow up without their father, who they adore, or just…" She closed her eyes. "…forgive them. It was long time ago."

Jackie looked down. "I don't know."

Brooke shrugged. "I love him… And plus," She started the car, "That little boy…One day he's gonna ask me about his mother and I wanna be able to tell him something good."

"Yeah, but…doesn't it bother you that, when Marie leaves, they're gonna be alone together?"

Brooke laughed. "They won't even look at each other. I'm not worried."

Jackie shook her head. "Well I think you're crazy."

"So do I," Brooke laughed. "But I feel okay about it, so what does it matter? I wanna marry him." She looked over at Jackie, who was wearing a frown as she stared at her lap. "What's the matter?" A cheerless shake of the small brunette's head caused Brooke to leave the car in park and turn in her seat. She sighed. "Come on. Out with it. We have things to do today."

"Why wouldn't he marry me, Brooke? I mean, I really thought he was different this time."

"Jackie," Brooke scolded. "You can't just demand that someone marry you and then get upset when they say no. The two of you just started this thing, this fling, whatever it is, what, three weeks ago? I can't even believe you asked. He's probably not ready."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's exactly what he _used_ to say when we were dating and then he married that skank."

Hearing that, Brooke turned her head forward and blew out a breath. She searched her brain for an excuse for him, an explanation, but none came. And then Jackie spoke again.

"I think I'm gonna tell Colin."

Brooke frowned. "Tell Colin what?"

"About my affair with Steven." Jackie looked over at her friend with affected eyes. "I don't know if he's still gonna want to marry me but I can't lie anymore." Jackie grimaced. "And it's disgusting me, Brooke! I used to be such a good liar. It always came so naturally to me, you know, like shopping and ripping on Donna but… now…" She groaned and threw out her hands. "I'm like this stupid, guilty lump all the time! It's like, 'Thank God' I'm still pretty."

"So, wait, when were you planning on telling him?"

"I don't know," Jackie shrugged. "Tonight? Tomorrow? What do you think?"

"No. No. Hang on." Brooke put her hands up. "Okay, look. I'm really glad that you want to be honest with him but can't it wait until after the wedding? I need you." She brought her hands to her heart. "And I promise, when I get back from my honeymoon, I will completely focus on helping you tell him. I just…I really need your help right now. I'm gonna be a mess. I have so much to do and if you start falling apart, I'm going to."

Thoughtfully, Jackie nodded. "Okay. You're right. I wasn't thinking." Quirkily, she pinched her lips to the side. "You'll really help me?"

"Of course."

Jackie nodded. "Ok. So do you think you could just tell him _for _me?" Brooke shook her head and Jackie groaned. "I hate this…"

* * *

**The Next Day**

**Saturday  
November 24, 1984  
7:46 p.m.**

**Forman Basement**

Eric raised the old record in his hand and spun it to see 'Side B' before he set it down and laid down the spindle.

Suddenly music began to tumble and bounce throughout the cool basement. It had Hyde rocking subtly in his seat as he watched 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special' with Kelso. The gang was waiting for the last of their bachelor/bachelorette party to arrive—Jackie and Colin—before they could head for the nightclub. The energy Hyde was releasing in his forward rocking had little to do with a feel for a beat and more to do with the fact that he was dreading having to pretend, once again, like he and Jackie were simply acquaintances. The thoughts in his head were telling him that it was bullshit to have to hide, to pretend that there wasn't something going on.

Hyde shifted in his seat and pulled down his thermal sleeves before refolding his arms. It was cold tonight, bitterly cold, and the smell of firewood burning was still in the room from when Fez and Amy had breezed in a few minutes before. He had to talk to her, he decided, but he would have to get her alone and the only way to make that happen was to somehow get rid of Lucky Charms. It didn't take him long to formulate a plan, though, for there was one thing Steven Hyde had that no one else did. Not even Lucky Charms.

A high tolerance.

The door swung open, letting in more cold, and Hyde looked over as Jackie walked in and stopped at the site of him.

She scanned the room while Colin stepped in behind her. "Hey."

Immediately, Hyde's eyes were drawn to her physical presence as everyone else greeted the pair in their own way. It was angering how beautiful she looked, hair down in loose, loose curls, bright eyes trimmed in black to match the little dress beneath her coat. The dark wool jacket was covering her shoulders but her legs were bare and made his heart race. His eyes rose to her face again just in time to witness Colin whisper in her ear and her hands gripped his sides as she listened and smiled.

Hyde rolled his eyes back toward the television. Fuck if he was gonna watch this shit all night.

He hadn't expected to be so pissed. He had witnessed their affections before but, this time, it invoked something different entirely. Now the jealousy was palpable and nearly drove him to his feet. Hyde tightened his jaw. He couldn't, though. So instead he redirected the possessive energy into drive. There was a mission to be accomplished. Operation Purge Lucky Charms.

Or something like that.

Hyde kept his eyes on the television as Jackie walked with Colin past the couch toward where Kelso and Brooke were standing near the washer. "Hey." Her voice was at testing level, submissive and high pitched in tone.

Hyde shot up from his seat and walked over, causing a panic inside Jackie and in everyone else, he noticed, which completely amused him. He knew she was expecting a spiteful remark, a glare, something, but he had different plans tonight. So as the group of four watched him approach, he simply grinned as Brooke gestured at Jackie's outfit.

"Oh wow. You look amazing."

Nodding, Hyde glossed over Jackie's body and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, that's a nice dress, Jackie."

Jackie took a deep breath, her eyes darting but never locking on his. "Thank you." Looking him in the eyes would be impossible. Every time she tried, a weight tugged at her chest and she would have to look away.

To her right, Colin leaned up against the washer, remaining quiet while the rest, besides Hyde, smacked their lips and rocked in place. His eyes fell on Hyde, who looked over and smiled, nodding his head as he grinned unaffectedly through the awkwardness.

"This is nice," Hyde remarked happily, his sights, of course, landing right back on Jackie. She was panicky, but Hyde felt no mercy. She was going to acknowledge him tonight. This bullshit was going to end. They wanted each other; they were supposed to move in together. He still wanted to. The idea of it was still visually warm in his mind. And she wanted to, too, he decided, but she was being stubborn and playing her God damn Jackie games. Well he was not going to play along, not the way she wanted anyway.

So with a mischievous expression displayed proudly, Hyde reached out and grabbed Jackie's left hand. "So what's this?" Jackie looked up as her hand rose with his, her eyes growing wide.

"It's… an engagement ring," she responded as everyone looked on. "Colin proposed." She forced a smile to mask gritted teeth. She wanted to smack him. "Isn't that wonderful?"

Hyde nodded. "Yeah, it's cool. I guess congratulations are in order then, huh?" He smiled, almost genuinely, over at Colin and lifted off his seat, kissing Jackie on the cheek and not hesitating to use a little tongue. "Congratulations." She would feel him tonight, too. He could feel her tense beneath the grip he had on her ass, hidden by her coat, and when he stepped back, her nervousness was gone, replaced seamlessly by anger. But Hyde would not let go of his amused smile. Nothing gave him more pleasure than tripping her up on her bullshit.

Not quite finished, Hyde turned to Colin and stepped over, swinging his hand around the Irishman's back to land on his shoulder. "Come on, buddy. You're getting' married. We've gotta celebrate!"

Desperate, Jackie turned eyes to Kelso. "Michael, do something."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Brooke," Jackie turned to her friend and pleaded for some comfort.

Shrugging, Brooke shook her head, her words and eyes completely lacking in certainty. "I'm sure… He's not gonna tell him. He won't."

Jackie's whole body wilted as Brooke slipped an arm around her. She began to walk toward the couch, frowning as she watched Hyde happily put a circle together with Colin by his side. Her feet shuffled forward. It wasn't as if she was happy about what was happening between them. She had recanted her decision a million times in her head, but it all came back to one thing. She couldn't go through 1979 all over again. It had been a terrible year. And she had come too far to be swallowed up by a past that had tried to kill her. She just wanted to be happy. Strangely, though, she was anything but. "God…Stupid Jerk Steven…This is gonna be the worst night of my life…"

* * *

Ten Minutes Later

"No! No!" Hyde smacked Fez's hand away and grinned over at Colin, the yellow canary feathers practically visible in his mouth. "It's my buddy, Colin's, turn again. You guys have that one," he pointed at the second joint in Kelso's hand on the other side of the circle.

"Hyde's he's high enough, man," Eric laughed, genuinely amused by the look of complete bliss on the foreigner's face. "He never smokes."

"That's ok. If he wants to be part of this group, he needs to build up his tolerance."

Jackie sent a scathing stare Hyde's way but he only smiled at her as Colin drew in a deep hit, unwittingly pulling himself in deeper to the enemy's plan.

Colin handed the joint past Hyde to Fez, but Hyde caught it and handed it back "Come on, Lucky Charms. One more."

"Man," Colin scowled. "You call me Lucky Charms one more fucking time, I'm gonna have to kick your ass." He looked up at Hyde's sneer and slowly began to laugh, making Hyde smile and nod.

"Great." Jackie rolled her eyes and confiscated the joint from Colin. She took a hit. "Colin, _why_ are you even listening to him anyway?! You two hate each other."

Colin frowned. "I don't hate Hyde."

"You should," Kelso threw in.

Jackie smacked him in the chest. "Michael, shut up!"

"Ow! You're always hitting people!"

"See," Hyde pointed to Colin, keeping his eyes on her. "He doesn't hate me." He turned to Colin. "Right, man?"

Lethargically, Colin shook his head. "Nope."

"That's because he's high!" Jackie argued. "It's impossible to hate anything when you're high!"

Colin smiled, chuckling slightly. "Why is everybody yelling?"

Hyde slapped his hand down on Colin's knee. "Hey. Did I ever tell you about the time me and Jackie were in my room and I gave her a big, fat…"

"Steven!"

Hyde smiled. "Joint." Jackie kicked him. "Ah!" He grabbed his shin. "Man, you _are_ always hitting people!"

Colin shook his head. "She hits me all the time."

"See," Hyde pointed.

"It's 'cause she's violent," Kelso explained angrily. "She was always slapping me in my chest when we were going out."

Colin nodded. "She's always pinching me, man. I hate it." Jackie whipped her head right; she had it coming at her from all sides and she had had enough. Without warning, she pinched a chunk of the flesh from Colin's chest into a knot. "Ah! Fuck, Jackie!"

Hyde began to laugh, not noticing Jackie rise until she had already kicked him in the shin. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For thinking this whole thing is funny!" She sat back down next to Colin in a huff.

Fez stood up and peeled the joint from Colin's fingers before sitting back down. "Yes, and every time I went in for a kiss, she would flick me in the face."

Jackie leaned forward. "You always had chocolate around your mouth, _Fez."_

Glancing around the circle, Amy frowned. "Ok, is there anyone here that Jackie _didn't_ date?"

"Ooh, Amy, no," Eric groaned and shook his head. "We don't talk about that in the circle anymore."

Donna nodded. "Yeah, it usually ends violently." She frowned, remembering. "Sometimes there's blood."

"What doesn't end violently around here, though?" Brooke asked.

His hands at the sides of his head, Kelso smiled. "Hey, has anyone ever noticed that my right ear is bigger than my left?"

"Ok, that's it." Jackie stood up and pointed at Amy. "I didn't date Eric for your information, nosy! 'Cause EW! And…" She slapped Kelso in the chest, pinched Colin, kicked Hyde and flicked Fez in the face. "Let's go!"

* * *

One Hour Later

The Moon Night Club

Kenosha, Wisconsin

…_Oh dancing with myself  
Well there's nothing to lose  
And there's nothing to prove  
I'll be dancing with myself_

Seated in a half-mooned booth, the entire gang looked on as four pitchers of beer and a tray layered with shots were placed down in the center of their table. The lights were dimmed, the music blared and people crowded wall to wall inside the smoky hometown bar, but Jackie did not miss the up-to-no-good smile on Hyde's face as he pooled six of the shots into his hands.

"Alright!" He sat at the booth's edge beside Colin, who was still high as a kite and sandwiched between the two old lovers. "Half for you," Hyde announced to Colin, placing down four shots in front of the Irishman and two in front of himself. "Half for me."

Eric raised his hand. "Uh, Hyde, that's not…"

"Shut up!" Hyde pointed.

_If I looked all over the world  
And there's every type of girl  
But your empty eyes  
Seem to pass me by  
Leave me dancing with myself_

"You can't out drink me, Hyde," Colin sneered. "I'm…Irish…Kind of…" He laughed and took two shots.

"Yeah, well we'll see," Hyde replied and chugged his shots down quickly.

"Steven," Jackie scolded and placed one knee on the seat to face both men. "Stop doing that! Stop trying to get him drunker than you!" She took one of Colin's shots away from him and gave it to Hyde.

_So let's sink another drink  
'Cause it'll give me time to think  
If I had the chance  
I'd ask the world to dance  
And I'll be dancing with myself…_

"Hey!" Colin contested. "That one's mine."

"No, dummy, it's Steven's. He's tricking you but you're too high to see it!"

Hyde shook his head at Colin. "I wouldn't trick you, man. She's the one. She just doesn't want you to have any fun."

"Hyde," Donna called out.

"What? It's true," Hyde insisted. "She's a party fouler." He turned to Colin again. "She is, man. When we were going out…"

"Steven!"

Across the table, Donna elbowed Eric.

"Alright!" Eric laughed nervously and raised a shot. "How about a toast!" Around the table, everybody acquired themselves a shot glass from the center. "To…uh… Kelso and Brooke. May, um…your kids always be… plentiful and…your house always…" He shook his head at Donna. "I don't…"

"To Kelso and Brooke!" she yelled out.

"To Kelso and Brooke!" everyone followed and drank.

Hyde slammed his shot glass down and looked over at Colin. "Hey," he grabbed another shot for Colin and one for himself. "We have to make another toast…" He leaned forward, looking past Colin, and locked down Jackie's eyes. He had her attention and he tried to say so much. He was hurting. She had to know. And if she really loved him, he told himself, she would stop this bullshit. She would find a way. "…to Jackie and Colin," he finished. The whole table turned quiet as Hyde held his eyes on her. Everyone noticed, except Colin, who was fooling with drinks. But the rest knew. They could see what Hyde was doing to himself. "That's yours." Hyde moved Colin's drink closer in and pointed at it. "Wait, drink that first." Then he grabbed another glass for him.

Colin frowned. "You drink yours."

"Fine. I will." Hyde drank his and grabbed himself another as Colin did the same.

"Eric, do something," Jackie demanded.

Almost laughing at the idiocy, Eric held out his hands. "What do you want me to do?"

Jackie shifted her attention to the other side of Brooke in the center of the seat. "Michael."

Kelso nodded. "I got it, Jackie. Don't you worry," he assured her and pulled the shot tray toward himself. "Hyde! You've gotta share with the rest of us, man. Hey! Let's make it a race!"

Jackie dropped her head to the table.

"It's ok, sweetie," Brooke said in Jackie's ear while she rubbed her back. She glanced at her watch. "Only, I'd say, four more hours of this…at most." Jackie started to dry sob, and deciding that she needed a little liquid soothing of her own, Brooke grabbed a couple of the shots from the tray and handed one to Jackie. "Let's have another. If you're drunk, too, you won't care so much."

Jackie raised her head and took the glass. "Just tell when me when it's over…"

* * *

Thirty Minutes Later

_I wanted to be with you alone  
And talk about the weather  
But traditions I can trace against the child in your face  
Won't escape my attention_

Staring through thick glass, Hyde tipped his beer mug back and rolled it all along its circumference. He had never in his life been able to remember so much. It was hard to tell anymore what was real, what was forgotten and what was to be left in the past, besides her. Thoughts of her in youth were spilling over relentlessly. She had been precocious, to say the least, persistent, especially in her stalker days, but she had surprised him, he had to admit. No matter how annoying, no matter how 'square', she was always something special, something colorful amidst the gray, and, there was no doubt, something beautiful amidst the ugly. He was only sorry it took him so long to see it.

_You keep your distance with a system of touch  
And gentle persuasion  
I'm lost in admiration could I need you this much  
Oh, you're just wasting time_

It was that girl, though, that aggravating, loud-mouthed, selfish, hopeful, beautiful girl that he wanted to talk to. She would listen to him. But she was lost, and trapped in memory, still in her '70s dresses with her hair feathered 'just right', she'd have said. She would have been on his lap right now, fussing over him somehow, encouraging him to not give up, to fight for her if he really loved her. He could still hear her voice, cooing in his ear, doting on him and insisting that he was so much better than he believed—that he could do it.

Hyde took a drink of his beer. He still didn't know what he was going to do. Give up or give in.

_Something happens and I'm head over heels  
I never find out till I'm head over heels_

"Hyde."

Hyde cleared his throat and looked up at Donna, the only other person at the table, feeling the liquor lag his movements. "Huh."

"I talked to Jess today," the redhead told him.

"Oh, yeah?" Hyde finished the last of his beer.

"Yeah. You know…She would take you back in a second. She's not mad at you."

Hyde nodded. "Yeah, I know."

Noticing the crowd arriving, Donna sighed and sat back. _  
_

_Something happens and I'm head over heels  
Ah, don't take my heart, don't break my heart  
Don't, don't, don't throw it away_

"We got more beer," Colin called out drunkenly and slapped down four more pitchers in front of Hyde. He patted Hyde on the shoulder. "I got you some Guinness but it wasn't on tap, so the waitress is bringing it over. You've gotta try it, man. It's better than this watered down American shit."

Hyde nodded. "Cool, man. Thanks." He stood up, as did Donna, to let everybody, including Jackie, back in. It wasn't difficult to notice that she had slipped in quickly without looking at him, but he wasn't the only one who had noticed. Across the table, Donna raised her eyebrows. It was just another reminder that he was running out of time.

_I made a fire and I'm watching it burn  
Thought of your future  
With one foot in the past  
Now just how long will it last…_

* * *

Nearly Two Hours Later

Lost in laughter, Jackie dropped her head back and stomped her feet lightly below the table. "Oh my God! I forgot about that!" She looked over at Fez, who sat to her left, and covered her mouth. "Oh, Fezzie, I'm so sorry."

"No. No. I'm glad I could amuse you."

"Oh, Fez." Donna leaned over and placed her head on his shoulder. "That was a long time ago. You don't still…" She looked over at Amy. "He doesn't still sing, does he?"

Amy looked over at her boyfriend. "Uh…"

"Ask Jackie," Jackie heard coming from the empty area to her right. Hyde and Colin were back from the bar with drinks in hands; except this time, Hyde noticed his opportunity and slid in before Colin with a grin on his face. "She would know."

"No, she wouldn't," Fez replied with a chuckle. "Me and Jackie never did it. Silly Hyde."

Hyde looked at Jackie and then at Fez. "You didn't?"

"Oh, she'd remember it if we did. Trust me," Fez winked at Jackie, making her laugh.

Suddenly, Hyde felt a strange sense of respite hit him. She had been chaste, and not only did that mean that he was an asshole for giving her so much shit about it over the years—Hyde looked over at Jackie again—it meant that she hadn't sleep with anyone in the entire year after their break-up. The news caused a strong brew of guilt to bubble inside. While he was fucking every chick he could get his hands on, her body had still been his. Jackie looked over at him with raised eyebrows and Hyde could only smile his embarrassment away and turn his face forward. Maybe it was the drink in his hand, or the fact that he could feel the heat from her bare skin warming his leg, but he was a breath away from exposing them all. It was clear to him; Jackie was his and he was ready to fight.

"Hyde," Eric called out.

A small smirk rising, Hyde took another drink from his glass and let his left hand slide to her leg. "Huh." He gripped the flesh inside her thigh and felt her tense.

"Stop it," he heard her grumble quietly and looked over with a smile. He could see it in her eyes as he let go that she missed him and he took a breath. She still wanted him. It was wearing all over her angry face. He only grinned, though. Sometimes he forgot how much fun it was to piss her off.

"No," he mouthed silently and dragged his finger up her thigh, causing her lips to purse.

"Hyde!" Eric repeated.

Hyde looked over. "What!"

"I need to talk to you. Now! Come on!"

"About _what_?" Hyde watched Eric get up from the table and turned to Colin, who was busy talking with Kelso. He stood and grabbed a pitcher of beer, almost spilling it before he filled Colin's glass to the brim and slapped the foreigner n the back.

"Drink up, man!" Hyde raised his chin. "I've gotta get out."

"Oh." Colin stood and Hyde was soon following Eric through the crowded nightclub toward the bathrooms.

"Man, we're not chicks. We don't need to go to the bathroom together."

"No. Hyde." Eric stopped short of the bathroom hallway and turned. "I just wanted to talk to you." He took a deep breath. "I think you need to sober up."

Hyde laughed. "We're at a bar, Forman. You haven't gone soft on me, have you?"

Eric's face remained stoic, though. "No, just listen to me, man. I know what you're going through with Jackie, okay. I know, man. I did it with Donna. It sucks seeing her with another guy, but you've gotta let this one go. They're getting married. Did she tell you?"

"Yeah, she told me and she's full of crap. She doesn't want him."

"There's…She's wearing his engagement ring, man."

"So? What is this high school? I don't give a fuck if she's wearing his ring. She's only doing that to scare me."

Eric shook his head as he watched their table. "I don't think so, Hyde. I think…I think they're serious, man."

His eyes narrowing, Hyde pointed at his friend. "Did Donna put you up to this, man?"

"Hyde."

"No… Forman. Stay out of it." Suddenly, Hyde perked up. He saw her moving away from the table with Brooke and Amy. "Hey. Man," He slapped Eric on the shoulder. "… keep Lucky Charms busy."

Hyde took off.

"What? No. Hyde," Eric called out. "Come here. I need you…" A few guys walked past Eric, eyeing him strangely. "No," he laughed nervously and shook his head. "No, I don't…_need _him… We used to live together…I mean, but not…Not that there's anything wrong with that…I…" Giving up, he simply waved them off and walked back toward the table. "Eh, screw it."

In the middle of the dance floor, Jackie laughed and moved to the music, getting lost in it as she closed her eyes. Her body felt like it weighed a ton and she wasn't sure how much more of the night she could take. He kept looking at her, like he was waiting for something, and she wanted so badly just to give it to him, but something was holding her back. Not even his eyes could save him anymore.

Opening her eyes, Jackie looked to her left and backed up, holding up her finger. "Steven. No! I told you, there's nothing to say."

Hyde grimaced. "Cut the shit, Jackie. Get over here." He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her to the other side of the dance floor, and as far away from Colin as he could get them.

"Steven, just stop. I'm trying, okay. I'm trying to move past this and just get back to my life. And you're not helping!"

"You don't want him."

"Steven, you're drunk."

"I'm not that drunk." He lied. He was wasted.

Jackie shook her head as he took hold of her hips. "Baby… You're slurring." Feeling the need to take care of him begin to overwhelm, she reached up to cup his cheeks. "God, your eyes are so red. Steven, will you just please sober up?" She looked in the direction of the table. "Please."

He kissed her lips gently. "C'mon, Jackie. Let's just go home."

"We don't have a home, Steven."

"We have my place," he shrugged. "I'd rather it just be me and you anyway. I hate clubs like this. Let's just get the hell out of here." He smiled groggily and closed his eyes. "We can do stuff on the couch like we used to. That was fun." He grinned proudly at the offer and Jackie could see clearly just how intoxicated he was.

"Oh, Steven…" She shook her head, wanting so badly to walk out of here and take him up on it. And he seemed so sincere but God, he was just too late. "No." Quickly, she let go of him and cut right, pushing through the crowd to get her body as far away from his as possible.

"Jackie!" He pushed someone out of the way, keeping his eyes on her dark hair as she moved. "Jackie!" As he walked faster through the crowd, he noticed that she had made it back to the table. "God damn it," he spat, raising his hand to the back his head. He hated being drunk for this. He wasn't saying the right things and she wasn't fucking listening.

Hyde looked around and saw an empty stool at the bar. "Hey! Some Jack over here," he called to the bartender and waited, taking a seat. The bartender arrived a moment later with a small glass and a bottle of Jack Daniels. Hyde watched him slowly pour. "Fill it."

"Can I get the same?"

Hyde looked over to the seat beside him where a girl, about his age, maybe a little younger, sat looking at him. She was a natural blond and he immediately noticed that her bare legs were crossed toward him.

She smiled. "Hi."

"Hi."

"You mind some company?"

"Uh, no." Hyde turned to his drink and took a swig before returning to the girl with an extended hand. "I'm Hyde."

She smiled a great smile, he noticed, and sat back in her seat, giving him that look that he hadn't seen in a while. It was all in her eyes. "Renee."

Nodding, Hyde leaned forward and placed his elbows on the bar as he took a drink. "You have a boyfriend, Renee?"

"Nope…"

* * *

Twenty-five Minutes Later

_You consider me the young apprentice  
Caught between the Scylla and Charibdes  
Hypnotized by you if I should linger  
Staring at the ring around your finger_

There couldn't have been more than six inches between his lips and hers. 'The music is too loud' had been her excuse to move in so close as they talked and flirted. She couldn't hear him, she claimed, and had uttered every word since deep into his left ear, each time giving him a chance to turn his eyes to Jackie. She was cozily tucked behind Colin's shoulder, still in their booth, as wanton breath warmed Hyde's ear. This girl's chest pressing into his, her lips on his skin, Hyde watched Jackie's mouth get taken by someone else. He watched her smile. He watched her brood and search for him.

She was lost.

_I have only come here seeking knowledge  
Things they would not teach me of in college  
I can see the destiny you sold  
Turn into a shining band of gold_

"Hyde." Renee drew back and smiled.

"Hmm."

"I'm gonna get another drink; you want one?"

"Uh… yeah." He slapped a five dollar bill on the bar to cover it and tried to ignore the incredible way this stranger smelled, and the fact that she was finding any reason to touch him, to entice him. She wanted him and he found himself wanting her affection. The cloudy haze in his brain told him she would make him feel better. Her lips would be warm and soft. She would taste so good. His tongue was craving her. Rejection did that. Anger caused it. The desire for revenge fed it.

_I'll be wrapped around your finger  
I'll be wrapped around your finger_

"You know…" The girl took in a deep breath. "This place gives me a headache."

"Yeah, me, too."

"I don't live too far from here."

Hyde swallowed and watched her nervous eyes. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "You wanna get out of here?"

Hyde looked over Jackie. She was looking down, and although the table was lively, she was not. He had to get her alone. "You know what… I can't." He looked at his new friend, her expression now drawn. "It's not that I don't want to."

"What, do you have a girlfriend or something?"

Hyde frowned and turned toward the bar. "I don't know."

Renee made a face. "You don't know?" Hyde shook his head and took another drink. "You mean, you don't want to mess up your chances with whomever by coming home with me."

Hyde looked over, curious. "How'd you know that?"

She laughed and shrugged, making him smile. "I don't know… Did you break up with someone or something?" She raised her hands. "You know what, never mind, it's none of my business."

Hyde cleared his throat. "No. It's cool. I just… I'm trying to work it out with my ex."

Renee nodded. "Ahhh." She quickly pouted an understand smile. "Well I guess that sucks for me then, huh?"

Hyde laughed and shrugged. "I could buy you another drink, though, if you want."

"Steven!" Still looking at Renee, Hyde smiled, amused and relieved at the sound of Jackie's enraged voice and the sharp tap on the back of his shoulder. Renee looked behind him to acknowledge her but Hyde simply waited. "Steven," he heard again through gritted teeth.

_Devil and the deep blue sea behind me  
Vanish in the air you'll never find me  
I will turn your face to alabaster  
When you find your servant is your master_

His blond companion frowned. "Um, I think that girl's talking to you."

Hyde nodded. "Small brunette? _Really_ beautiful? Big, _fat_ mouth?" Renee wouldn't respond, only raising her eyebrows as she turned back to the bar. And inside that silence, Hyde could feel the heat of mismatched blue and green eyes burning an inferno into his skull. She was pissed. He could hear the click, click, click of her foot tapping and he had never been more pleased with a chick than he was with pretty, blond Renee _right now_.

_Oh, you'll be wrapped around my finger  
You'll be wrapped around my finger_

His expression apathetic, Hyde turned around. "Yes. Can I help you?"

"Get over here," Jackie demanded and yanked him from the seat by his shirt.

Hyde grinned at Renee and winked. "Hey, it was nice meeting you, Renee."

Renee smiled and waved her fingers flirtatiously. "You, too, Hyde."

Jackie yanked at him again and nearly made him fall.

"Ah! Ow! I've gotta go," were his last words as he finally succumbed to Jackie's demands.

"Get over here!" Taking him by the hand, Jackie watched the group's table carefully as she dragged him to the small hallway by the bathrooms and turned around with her back to the wall. "Who the hell is she?!"

"Oh." Hyde looked back over at Renee. "Her?" He grinned and turned back to Jackie. "I think she likes me." Far beyond delighted, Hyde stood still and admired the beautiful, scowling face of his ex-girlfriend, his smile quickly growing as he spread his legs to come eye to eye with her. "You're jealous."

Jackie folded her arms. "I am not."

Hyde nodded, a slight smile still curving his lips as he stared at her. "You love me." Slipping his arms around her waist, he leaned in and laid a thick kiss just below her jaw. "You wanted me away from her."

"No." Jackie closed her eyes at the feeling of another warm kiss landing on her neck and then another and another. Each one was so intimate, like they were home, naked in bed, wrapped around each other, and not in this loud, crowded place. "I just needed to talk to you."

"Oh?" Hyde kissed her again and raised an eyebrow. "Really." Straightening himself up, he folded his arms. "So you've come to apologize and tell me you're finished acting like a whacked out pain in the ass then?"

"I'm here to tell you that it's over, Steven." Nervously, Jackie rubbed her lips together and shook her head as she looked down and ignored the stiff expression on Hyde's face. "I'm marrying Colin. It's gonna happen. I gave you your chance. Now you need to stop what you're doing." Her eyes were downcast but after several seconds of no sound from his mouth, Jackie looked up. "Why can't you just say you're happy for me?! Like you did with Fez."

"Because I wasn't happy for you with Fez," he admitted, grimacing. "I was pissed!"

Jackie deflated and grumbled.

"You want him more than me, Jackie," Hyde asked emphatically, his unmerciful eyes held on hers. "Is that it?"

"I… I don't…" Jackie shook her head, unable to answer. "I…"

"Just say it. You want him more than you want me." Hyde shrugged. "Is that it? You love him more? Or is this because he's willing to marry you right now and I'm not?" Pushing his jaw forward, Hyde waited as Jackie simply held her eyes down, unwilling to look at him. "Come on, Jackie! Which is it?" He took a breath… Then what? What did her answer matter, he wondered? She was choosing Colin over him anyway, regardless of the absurdity of her reasoning.

Hyde dropped his shoulders, having not realized how tense his entire body had been, and stepped closer to her, bring his lips back down toward her ear. "Come on, Jackie. This is _stupid_. Just break it off with him already."

"I can't," Jackie responded restlessly. "It's already too…"

"No," Scowling, Hyde brought his face to hers and gripped her hips. "Just shut the hell up for one damn second and listen to me… You were constantly pushing. That's why we broke up. If you would've just given me time instead of nagging so much about marriage, I would've come around…" He paused. "… eventually."

"Eventually…" Jackie shook her head. "When, Steven? Before or after you got all those skanks out of your system."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Yeah, and you know, now that I think about it, you never once acted like you cared that we were through. In fact, you told everyone you were happy we broke up, you were 'happy to be rid' of me, remember? You told Donna you never loved me. And she believed you! You know how much that hurt, Steven?" Jackie furrowed her brow. "Do you?" She shook her head and inhaled to let out whatever bad feelings were showing themselves. "Look, ok, I'm not angry at you about it anymore. I'm really not, Steven. I'm just not gonna put myself through it again. And the only way I was gonna be sure you wouldn't do it to me again was to get married." Taking hold of his hands, Jackie removed them from her hips and left them at his sides. "I needed you to want me that much, Steven. I needed to know that you wanted me so bad, loved me _so much_, that you would do anything to get me back. But you said no."

Hyde shook his head. "It's just a piece of paper, Jackie."

"Exactly, Steven."

"What, so you're gonna marry someone you don't want just to have it?"

"I never said I didn't want him. I told you I love him."

Shifting his weight, Hyde rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know. You've said it a hundred times. I think you even said it once while we were doing it, or was that a dream?"

Jackie narrowed her eyes and clenched her jaw. "Look, Steven. I believe that you believe you won't hurt me. I never said you ever planned the things you did, but it's just what happens! You can't help yourself!"

Hyde's body tightened again, especially the center of his chest as he scowled at her. It was anger churning and forming the words, poorly. "God, you're… You don't listen!" He looked around, his lips pursed. She was making him crazy. "You have a pen in your purse?"

"What?"

"A pen!"

Jackie threw up her hands. "I don't know! I think so," she grumbled and reached into her purse. "What do you need a pen for anyway?" Right then she pulled one out. "Here!"

Hyde grabbed her left hand and pulled off her engagement ring.

"Steven! What are you doing?" Jackie readied herself to kick him but relaxed the second he slipped the ring into her right hand and forced her to clutch it, making her feel foolish.

"There, alright," he assured her with eye contact and then shifted his attention down. Taking her ring finger into his hand, Hyde began to draw a line in the place where her ring had been. "I'm not gonna cheat on you again," he insisted vehemently. "I'm not gonna leave you again. I'm just not. Okay?" He finished the pen stroke by making both ends meet, completing the circumference. Gripping her hand, he forced her to look at the blue ring around her finger. "This is me. It's just as good, Jackie. It means the exact same thing. It's just not all…fancy like his."

Her back flat against the wall, Jackie made her eyes trace the dark cobalt ring he had drawn and felt a sob begin to boil inside her. It rose and burst out her eyes and nose. It was getting harder to breath. She looked up at Hyde and shook her head. "It's gonna wash away."

Frowning, Hyde thought about it and looked up at her. "Then I'll draw it again," he said, relieved to see that her gaze was much more forgiving than before. Her eyes were alive with thought. He waited until impatience struck him and cupped both sides of her jaw. "I'm not going to take off on you again," he said stubbornly and brought his lips toward hers. "Will you just God damn believe me already?" He kissed her.

Jackie took his kiss and savored it, trying to lock into memory the softness of his lips and the gentle way he puckered them. She kept her eyes open and watched him as he closed his. Between each kiss, his tongue would slip through in light thrusts, just touching the tip of hers until she pulled away. "You're too late," she whispered.

Hyde sighed. "Jackie…People break off engagements all the time," he snapped. "Look at Forman and Donna. They've done it, what, three hundred times now?"

"Twice," she corrected.

"Whatever. Just tell him you changed your mind. He'll believe it. You do it thirty times a day," he scoffed and then kissed her lips again. Jackie closed her eyes and made her body rise a little to match his. She kissed him back and let his tongue into her mouth. He was growing confident with each kiss, though; Jackie could feel him pulling her in and pulled away.

"I can't kiss you anymore."

"Why not?!"

Jackie shut her eyes and felt her body tense. "Because you're _too_ late, Stephen. It's over."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Jackie…"

Jackie's eyelids flew open. "Steven!" She then opened her mouth and tried to force it out but the need to stifle a sob stopped her and she closed her mouth. She was reduced to shaking her head until it passed, until it was able to be swallowed down. And when it was gone, she knew it was time. "It just happened, okay."

Hyde frowned and straightened his back. He looked at her for a moment. "What happened?"

Jackie looked down at her fingers. "Last night," she said softly. "He…" She rubbed her lips together. "He kissed me and… It just happened." Looking up, Jackie shook her head. "I'm sorry, Steven." Her lips were turned down as she neared tears, but her chin was high. "It's over. You don't want me."

Watching her, Hyde felt the knot in his chest crawl up into his throat and quickly swallowed it down. "You slept with him?"

Jackie sucked her lips in, trying to dam back any tears before they even tried to come. "I'm really sorry," she let out in a shudder. "I gave you your chance. And you didn't want me… Well, he does."

Hyde stood still; he was hearing her but the energy and the life he would need to react was gone. He simply stared into the new oblivion that existed between their bodies. All of it; all the ideas and thoughts and hopes that he had carried into this place had been wiped clean by her in one instant. He had filled himself up with her in the last three weeks, and now something would need to fill the void; something always did.

"Steven…"

Hyde blinked. "Just shut up." He looked up at her again, but this time the image was clearer, even through drunk eyes. She was the same, and never his. She was that voice from his youth, telling him he wasn't good enough, that he was trash, making sure he knew how unwanted he was. It was gritty in his mouth. The sound. And the look on her face, it was pained as two tears fell and disappeared. She was a liar, he realized, and, for the first time in years, the monster opened its eyes. It pulled in rage and power with its first breath, its energy fueled by Jack Daniels and the things he had always felt for her. But it was stronger than him. It beat the hurt down. It killed the sting. And like her memory, it seethed and festered inside him until it erupted and drove his fist into the wall beside her head. "Fuck!"

Jackie flinched and shut her eyes. "I'm sorry," she sobbed, but when she finally opened her eyes, Hyde was gone and Brooke was running up.

"What happened?!"

Jackie gasped in a breath. "I told him."

Brooke eyes widened. "Oh my God. _Here_, Jackie? Why?!"

Jackie was sobbing uncontrollably. "I…He wouldn't… He kept…I don't know. Why did I listen to you?!"

"Shit!" Brooke looked left and then right, excited to see a familiar face exit the men's bathroom. "Eric!" She grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him close. "Go get Hyde before he starts a fight with Colin!"

"What?"

"Just…take him home or something! Go! He just went that way! Go!"

Quickly, Eric looked over at Jackie, sobbing, and out into the bar, catching the back of Hyde heading toward the group's table. "Shit." He took off running, dodging and pushing through the crowd, but he knew he wasn't going to make it. "Kelso!" he screamed out and jumped over an empty chair. "Kelso!"

Hyde was getting closer.

A laughing Kelso, who was standing next to the table, talking to Donna, turned around at the sound of his name and saw Eric waving and running through the crowded club. "Kelso!"

He waved back. "Oh hey, Eric!"

"Stop Hyde!"

"Huh?" Kelso pointed to his ears. "I can't hear you, man! The music! It's rockin'!" Still smiling, he looked straight ahead and saw an image he had seen several times before in his life and his smile fell. "Whoa!" Charging forward in several broad steps, Kelso met up with a determined-eyed Hyde and pushed him backwards toward the bar. "Hey! Hey! What are you doing, man?"

Hyde pushed against him. "I'm kicking his ass! Get out of my way!"

"Wait, who? Colin?"

"Yeah! He's dead!"

"What for?"

Eric ran up and pushed Hyde's shoulder left toward the door. Still confused, Kelso helped Eric push him in that direction as he fought his backward momentum. "Come on, Hyde," Eric said soothingly, managing to finally turn his friend around. "Let's go talk."

"I don't wanna talk! I wanna kill that fucker!"

Kelso frowned. "He didn't do anything, man."

All Hyde could think as they knocked him toward the exit was that Colin was the reason. He was the enemy. He wanted to believe it. He wanted to believe that he hadn't really blown it himself five years before. That he was stuck feeling this way. That she was really no longer an option. There had been a time, he recalled, when he couldn't break her from his side. She wouldn't let go; she wouldn't give up. She was wide-eyed and young and hopeful and trusting and annoyingly in love with him. But that was over.

Kelso shoved open the club door and Hyde felt his body get shoved out into the rain. He stopped himself and drew in a breath.

"Hyde."

Hyde turned around and looked at his friend. "Man, Kelso, if you weren't getting married, your face would be in that pavement right now."

Kelso's shoulders fell as Eric stepped forward carefully.

"Hey. What happened, man?"

Hyde held his attention on Kelso, though, having the wherewithal to remember wedding pictures and blushing brides, enough to avoid a scuffle with his friend, but Jackie's words were replaying in his head, the will was fading and the drive to beat on Colin was taking over. "Get out of my way, Kelso."

"No, man," Kelso responded mulishly. "He's my friend, too, and he didn't _do_ anything! You slept with his girlfriend, man. He doesn't even know what the hell's been going on behind his back."

Eric held his arm out to Kelso, keeping his eyes on Hyde. "Kelso, just shut up for a second," He took a step forward. "Hyde, just tell me what happened."

Hyde shook his head and stepped back, turning slightly.

Eric softened his voice. "Did she sleep with him? Is that what happened?"

Hyde kept his eyes on the asphalt. He felt like he was somewhere else tonight. Stuck inside the past. Lost in a hotel room. Rolling west on a dark highway.

"Man…" Eric sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry she did that. But you can't blame Colin. She's his girlfriend. He doesn't know he did anything to you, and it's you, Hyde, who screwed _him_ over first."

Hyde looked up, grimacing as he finally breathed. "What the hell, Forman, you're supposed to be on my side."

"We are," Kelso interjected, turning Hyde's eyes onto himself. "But this is my bachelor party, man. I'm lucky I'm even still getting married. I don't need this crap right now. You gotta let it go, Hyde. Please."

Hyde swallowed and backed up a few more steps. "Fine," he nodded.

"Where are you going?"

Hyde turned around and began to walk. "To Jess's."

Noticing the drunken stagger of his friend's gait, Eric followed him. "I'll drive you."

"No," Hyde waved him off. "I'm cool, man. I got it."

"Hyde…"

Hyde stopped and looked up to the sky before turning around and placing his hand on Eric's shoulder. "I'm good, man. Really. It's fine. Go have a good time."

"Just let me drive you. Man, I'll feel better."

"It's gonna be fine, Forman. Don't worry so much."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." Hyde patted him and turned around, heading straight for his car. He wasn't sure if he would make it all the way to Point Place or to Jessica's small apartment. He could barely manage the slick ground beneath his feet, but he had to get the hell away from this place. He had to shake this pain in his chest. He had to find a way…

Donna burst into the women's bathroom. "What the hell's going on?" She stopped in front of Brooke, who was sitting on a small bench hugging Jackie. "What's wrong with Hyde? What happened?"

Brooke looked up. "Did they fight?"

"Who?"

"Colin and Hyde."

"No," Donna answered. "Kelso and Eric took him outside before he could reach the table."

"So what's Colin doing?" Brooke asked.

Donna rolled her eyes. "Colin's drunk off his damn ass. He was talking to Fez and Amy; he didn't even notice." She turned her eyes to Jackie. "Why is she crying?" And back to Brooke. "What the hell happened? Why is Hyde wanting to kick Colin's ass all of sudden?"

Finally entering the conversation, Jackie looked up, her face a mess. "I told Steven I slept with him."

Donna raised her eyebrows. "Ohhhhh." She winced. "Yeah. That makes more sense." The red head knelt beside Jackie. "Are you alright?"

Jackie shook her head and tucked her face back against Brooke.

"Well…" Donna, not knowing what to say, looked up at Brooke. "I mean, it was bound to happen. Right?"

Brooke recoiled. "Yeah, but It didn't really happen," she explained to Donna.

"What?"

"I didn't really sleep with him," Jackie elucidated, raising her head. "I mean… I'm going to. He is…" She shrugged, starting to cry again. "…my fiancé. I just…Brooke and I were talking earlier and…it…" She leaned in toward Donna. "I'm in love with him, Donna. With Steven. But he was just gonna hurt me again. He would have left again… Right?"

A little stunned by the seriousness of her friend, Donna shrugged. "I don't know, Jackie. He seemed…" She shook her head. "I don't know."

"I thought maybe if I told him that I was Colin… that he would give up. It's the one thing he won't forgive. But…"

"Well, it worked," Donna told her. "He's pretty upset." A frown came over her as she recalled the scene, the look on Hyde's face as Kelso pushed him away. "I think you really hurt him, Jackie."

Jackie stared into the floor. "I did?" Donna nodded and Jackie shut her eyes, groaning. "Where is he?"

The redhead stood up and put her hands up, remembering something else. "You know what, it doesn't matter. It's done and over with."

"Yes, it does matter, Donna." Jackie opened her eyes and looked up. "Where is he?!"

"He took off."

"Donna! He's drunk; he shouldn't be driving!" She dropped her head back on Brooke's shoulder, her hair hiding her face again as she whined. "God, this is all my fault. He's probably halfway to Vegas by now."

"Actually," Donna corrected her with a scrunched face. "He said he was going to Jessica's."

At that, Jackie felt her heart constrict and took in a deep breath to re-energize the tears. "God, to go have revenge sex with herrrrrrrr…" She burst into tears, her shoulders bouncing as she hugged back onto Brooke.

"Jackie," Donna knelt back down. "Look, it's better this way. You did the right thing. She'll take him back and you can both just pretend this never happened."

"Jackie…" Brooke, understanding what words were needed, whether they were true or not, raised her friend's chin. "He won't enjoy it. Okay? And he won't remember." She shook her head. "He's too angry and too drunk, and even if he does, he'll be too busy thinking about you." As Jackie closed her eyes, Brooke hugged her harder and began to comb through her hair, grateful for the way Donna rested her head on Jackie's back. "Try not to worry, sweetie. It'll all be over soon. And you'll marry Colin. And you'll have adorable little babies with dark hair and big blue eyes. And you'll forget all about Hyde, just like before. I promise."

Cocooned between her friends, Jackie squeezed her eyes shut and breathed through the sting. She didn't want to forget…

The stars were faded and hidden above a blanket of clouds but a bright fall moon was peeking through. It was spread out over the sparkling, but otherwise dark, highway, glowing inside the slick road's reflection. Windshield wipers swished back and forth. It had been a long three and a half weeks. It had been a long five years, and an even longer lifetime. He was twenty-five years old. A lot of strange things had happened to him, a lot of strange people, and a lot of disappointment. He was used to it. And as each mile marker passed, he would start to convince himself that none of it mattered, that it was just another day, just another regret, but then another would pass and he would begin to miss her, and then he would begin to hate her.

He had spent the better of the last fifteen years partying and hanging out, sleeping with women, and relishing his freedom. But now he was beginning to dislike the idea of being alone. Through all his experience, it was those warm one on one moments that he was remembering most, a smile beneath the covers, a story about the mall, a kiss goodnight, a laugh. He wanted it back. He had tried for her tonight but, as usual, it wasn't good enough.

After blinking several times to keep his eyes energized for the drive, Hyde shook his head and found the knob on the radio, determined to wipe the pornographic images from mind. She was the star.

_I would… die for… you… Tell me if you want me to. You… I would… die for… you…_

Sneering at Prince's voice, Hyde changed the channel, stopping when he heard a few familiar chords begin to play. It didn't take but a second to locate the memory. She had played it. He turned up the volume. In Vegas.

Vegas.

He recalled spacing out a lot in those three weeks, removing his old self completely from the world. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the weed, maybe it was the girl, or even the town. They call it the city of sin after all. They say that no one goes home without a secret to hide or a mistake to regret and he would be no different…

_September 11, 1979_

_Las Vegas, Nevada_

_1:37 a.m._

_He had been lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, letting the smoke and the alcohol take hold of his mind for God knows how long, when the music started in the other room. A moment later, her petite, nearly naked body had appeared in the doorframe. She said something that he guessed to be poignant but never heard and never cared enough to ask. He knew, lying there, that he should have been numb from it all, should have been thinking of only the blond sauntering toward him, but instead he only felt anger and disillusionment toward the brunette crying 1500 miles away._

When I think of those East End lights  
Muggy nights  
The curtains drawn  
In the little room downstairs

_He had felt no guilt as he watched Sam hook her thumbs into the thin straps of her panties and lower them to the floor. And as she stepped out of her last stitch of clothing, she smiled at him and climbed over his body, straddling him knowingly and kissing him so softly. Maybe it was the exhausted expression on his face, or the pain that he knew she could still see, but she seemed to sense what he needed as she lowered his boxers and took him into her mouth. All without a word. Not one fucking word. Unlike Jackie, who would have spoken, would have whispered something gentle to him instead, something meaningful, and smiled. But it was the last thing he wanted at that moment; he wanted everything Jackie wasn't—he wanted meaningless, silent head. _

_He wanted Sam._

Prima Donna, lord  
You really should have been there  
Sittin' like a princess  
Perched in her electric chair

_As he stared at the swirling ceiling fan above his head, Sam's warm mouth sucking on his cock, all that ran through his mind was whether or not Jackie had done this to Kelso in that cheap hotel room. The thought made him sick but he couldn't stop thinking it. He had done it to himself for nearly three weeks, tortured himself with the lurid imagery of what she had probably let her ex-boyfriend do to her and what she had done to him. Had they laughed at him? Laughed about what a sucker he was for not knowing, for believing? _

_He was going to marry her._

And it's one more beer  
And I don't hear you anymore

"_C'mere," he muttered, pulling Sam up and toward him._

"_What's wrong, baby?"_

"_Nothing," he insisted, giving her a tender kiss. She had taken his answer at face value and straddled herself back over him. Slowly, she took him inside her body and began to rock her hips as she kissed him. The feeling was incredible, but after being with one girl for so long, he remembered finding it strange to be with another. Not bad…only strange. And even though he had already fucked this girl at least twenty times in the last two weeks, he still wasn't used to it. Her body was shaped differently, her skin not as smooth, and he didn't feel as close to her as he was used to feeling during sex now; He wasn't feeling that connection. It was hard to explain. It was the thing that had made him come so hard with Jackie, made it feel so good all over. That coveted, fucked-up connection he felt when he was inside her. _

We've all gone crazy lately  
My friends out there  
Rollin' round the basement floor

_Grabbing a hold of Sam's hips as she began to pant and bounce over him, Hyde saw another one of those images of Jackie and Kelso that he couldn't rip from his brain. Her riding him this way, coming, moaning his friend's name the way she had moaned his. Throwing his head back, Hyde closed his eyes. "Fuck." He could feel Sam's movements becoming erratic and slow; his behavior had probably encouraged her body to orgasm and he didn't mind at all as he pulled her down and kissed her hard. _

And someone saved my life tonight, sugar bear  
You almost had your hooks in me, didn't you dear?  
You nearly had me roped and tied  
Altar-bound, hypnotized

_He needed release, too, and an escape from that slut who had cheated on him. She had loved him, he thought, and he had actually fucking believed her and loved her back. "Fuck! God damn it," he yelled at Sam, slamming her hips down over him furiously. He needed to feel something else besides rage and hurt, and nothing else was working. The muscles in his abdomen began to flex as his body readied to come and he lifted Sam off…_

Sweet freedom whispered in my ear  
You're a butterfly

For years, it was this point of his memory that had always eluded him; the alcohol, the drugs, the hate, everything, must have finally kicked in. But one strange night in 1982, while watching Dynasty with a sleeping brunette, it had surfaced, from out of nowhere. He and Sam had gotten dressed, left her apartment, gotten drunker, and gotten married. And that had pretty much been it, hadn't it? Hyde reached for the radio knob and pushed his foot further into the gas pedal. That had been it.

And butterflies are free to fly  
Fly away, high away, bye-bye…

* * *

**Twenty Minutes Later **

**November 25, 1984**

**12:26 a.m.**

In the middle of a movie she had rented, a nearly asleep Jessica heard a forceful knock at her front door and looked over, becoming worried as she glanced at the clock. It was past midnight. She didn't move.

Another knock rattled her door. "Jess! It's me."

"Steven?" Jessica flew up from the couch and waited for him to speak again.

"Jess." A dull thud shook the door, his head, she deduced. God, he sounded so unlike himself, and drunk. "I need to talk to you." It was him, though, and unbelievable relief and joy exploded throughout her body.

Ecstatic, Jessica opened the door. "Steven," she smiled, but it fell quickly. He was standing, soaked and frowning and obviously intoxicated. "Baby, what's wrong?"

Hyde shook his head and stepped inside, never taking his eyes from her as she shut the door and stared expectantly at him. Time was running out. There was a moment to decide and it was passing swiftly. He was already tired of feeling like shit; like feeling abandoned, nothing was going to make him feel better tonight; nothing that was good for him anyway, except her. She loved him. Out of everyone; she loved him most, he decided. She'd never abandoned him nor had she ever hurt him. She was warm and soft and clean… and so fucking predictable.

Feeling the need to sooth himself with her, Hyde drove his hands into her hair and kissed her hard. It was frantic and distressed; it was searching for comfort inside her mouth. The hurt: she would absorb it; she would take it all away and not ask questions. She was his Sam, with one difference; she loved him and he loved her back. Not the way he should. But the way he could. And for her, that was enough. _He_ was enough. No more, no less.

"Steven," Jessica gasped, but continued to kiss him with a poorly hidden smile. "Baby," She cupped his cheeks. "What are you doing?"

Hyde picked her up and pulled her legs around his waist. "What I should have done last week…"

* * *

Thirty-Eight Miles Away

Disengaging from the blue darkness of her bedroom, Jackie closed her eyes and let her head roll back against her pillow as far as it would go, and as a breath escaped, she focused on the tear that slowly seeped from the outside corner of her left eye and slid coldly into her hair. She was suddenly thankful for the warmth of Colin's lips and for the tender way he always used them. There was no aggression behind his movements and no haste. His hands cupped the back of her shoulders and his mouth heated and soothed her chest. Hugging his head, she tried to focus on the feeling, on the faint noises he made as he breathed and kissed her skin.

It was all so painful, though. A silent sob tunneled up her throat and escaped quietly just as his body rose above her and settled between her legs.

"Baby," he nearly whispered.

Jackie opened her eyes and lowered her head to look at him, not bothering to brighten her eyes.

Concern, mixed with disappointment, like a wave, tumbled and crashed over his face. "What's the matter?"

With a lackluster smile, Jackie touched his cheek. "Nothing," she whispered back and watched him deflate as his weight began to leave her. Quickly, she wrapped her arms around his chest. "No. No. C'mere. I want to." Her hand slid down between them and positioned him to enter her. It all needed to end, once and for all. "I made you wait long enough." Grabbing his head, Jackie reengaged and forced her body against his, her mouth, her chest, her hips, her heart; she was committed, and he was back home…

* * *

With Jessica in his arms, Hyde stumbled into the master bedroom and set her down on the floor. 

"You're so beautiful," he whispered and kissed her again.

Standing in the middle of her bedroom floor, Jessica was overwhelmed with sensations. He was all over her, and acting more passionate than she could ever remember him being. The question of what had happened to him tonight struck her mind over and over through his frantic kisses and his roaming hands but she decided not to push her luck and just save it for later. Other things were rising and taking over as he sucked her in. "God," burst past her lips before she pushed her tongue into his mouth and kissed him. "I missed you so much, baby. You have no idea."

Jessica grabbed his belt and tried to undo the buckle. "I this stupid thing!" She was growing frustrated as he whipped off his shirt and peeled off hers.

Taking control, Hyde picked her up and laid her down, wasting no time by simply slipping his fingers inside the waist band of her shorts and pulling off the rest of her clothes. He undressed quickly and climbed back over her, instantly fastening his mouth to hers as she spread her knees to his sides to let him settle himself between.

Hyde raised himself up by his arms and looked at her. The image of Jackie lying beneath Colin hit him hard. "Shit." Hyde closed his eyes. "God damn it."

"What's wrong?"

His eyes still closed, Hyde sucked in a few breaths. "You love me, don't you." What the fuck had he been thinking, he wondered. He had her. She was perfect. Why had he ruined it? Why had he let a pair of suede boots and rose lips distract him? He had been so drunk that night; the memories she had stirred had awoken something.

Below him, Jessica's eyes worried. "You know I do."

He nodded faintly and lowered his lips to the soft flesh just above her bellybutton and dragged them up to her breasts.

Jessica slipped her hands in his hair and frowned to herself. "Steven," she angled his face toward her. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"No." Hyde grimaced. "I don't wanna talk, Jess," he derided, but at the look on her face he huffed, "After, okay," and rose up to kiss her again. His hands took hold of her arms and pushed them high above her head. Seeing the position he had her in, Hyde smirked, the swollen tip of his cock resting just outside her entrance. He could feel the heat coming off her; it was humid and welcoming. "Is this what you wanted?"

Jessica swallowed, not altogether sure she liked the way he was acting, but _he_ was what she wanted, and how could she question what she had been praying for every night. "Yeah." She stretched her neck to kiss him but he backed his head away. "I want _you_," she elaborated. "I can't… Ohhh…God." She squeezed her eyes shut as he pushed himself inside her, not stopping until he bottomed out. Typically, he would ease in and give her body time to adjust, but tonight he immediately began to pound in and out of her, forgetting mercy.

"God, you feel so good," Hyde whispered against her mouth, already feeling the comfort from her warm grip on him. He kissed her and raised his head to watch her but he had no idea it would take his mind away again. Each time he slammed into her, her body rose on the bed, her breasts shook and her eyes clenched shut. Inside, his heart was twisting, though. He didn't want to think that Jackie had enjoyed being fucked by Colin, that she had liked the way someone else felt; the same way he liked how Jessica felt. He could screw without emotion, he reasoned; Jackie couldn't. When she had sex, she put her whole self into it; her body, her mind, her heart. He knew it, first hand, and it was killing him that she had given it away to someone that wasn't him, after everything.

"Ow! Steven! Stop!" Just as he heard Jessica scream out, he pulled out and came on her stomach.

"Sorry," he breathed out, trying to catch his wind. He swallowed, thirsty as hell, and was beginning to notice that the girl beneath him was upset, near tears. "I said I was sorry, okay. I didn't…" He rolled off of her and grabbed his head. "Fuck."

"What…" Tears in her eyes, Jessica abandoned her train of thought and set her eyes on the ceiling. He had been slamming into her so hard, his attention gone. It couldn't have lasted more than a minute, though. And not one second of it felt like him.

A moment later, she felt him leave the bed and looked over as he started to put his jeans back on. "What are you doing?"

"I've gotta get out of here."

"What?" Jessica pulled her sheets over her and sat up, feeling a knot choke her throat. "You can't just leave."

"I'll call you tomorrow." Hyde grabbed his shirt and shoes and walked out of her bedroom.

Suddenly irate, Jessica jumped off her bed and followed. "You fucking asshole! That's what you came here for? To fuck me?"

"I can't _stay_, Jess!"

Jessica shook her head. "What the hell happened to you?! Huh?" She shoved him hard into the door. "What's wrong with you?!"

Hyde turned around and stepped toward her with a firmly pointed finger. "Don't do that again!"

"Is that what I am to you now? A screw?" Losing control of her emotions, Jessica began to sob. "I love you so much and this is what I am to you?!"

"You got what you wanted."

Jessica shook her head. "No. I didn't want this! I wanted my boyfriend back…The nice one. The one who doesn't treat me like a whore."

"Yeah, well he's gone." Hyde turned back around and headed for the door again.

Jessica began to sob. "If you leave, I swear to God, we're done. This is not me making empty threats, Steven. I don't care how drunk you are." She took a deep breath. "If you leave this house," she said more quietly. "…don't ever come back."

Desolately, Hyde looked at her, just for a moment, and then opened the door and left, bringing Jessica to her knees. Sitting on her calves, she felt her body begin to shake with her tears. Her stomach was still wet from his come, which was beginning to soak through her cover, and she had never in her life felt so used or so unloved. It was rock bottom. It was the edge of pain, the place where life begins to blend with hell. It was bordering intolerable.

Feeling sick to her stomach, she stood and ambled into the bathroom to clean up. Tears still flowing freely, she looked in the mirror and dropped her sheet. She wiped herself off quickly, deciding she would shower later and walked back into her bedroom. After throwing on a long t-shirt, she lay back down on her bed and curled into a ball, facing the window as she cried. It was raining again outside, and it was so cold. She had felt the chill come in with him, and it was still here, making her shake as she reached back to search for her blankets.

Her ear caught something, though. A click. A swish. Another click. A bang. It was him. He was back inside her apartment, and she wasn't sure how to react, assuming he simply forgot something. A few seconds later, she heard more noises and realized he was in the room, somewhere behind her. She heard him walk up and stop at the edge of her bed. She wanted so badly to look but her obstinacy held her eyes on the wall by her side table.

The last noise Jessica heard was the creak of her bed before she finally felt his body crawl onto the mattress and scoot in behind her, his arm hugging her tightly. In her life, there were several indescribable moments. They always came to her when she least expected them and they always hit her differently than she would have ever imagined. Tonight was one of those moments. There was a disingenuous energy in the air. She had felt it the instant the sun abandoned the earth to the night. Tonight. She would have never guessed.

"I'm sorry."

Jessica remained silent as he spoke his muffled words into her hair.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

The way he said it eased her upset mind slightly and she closed her eyes. "No."

"I didn't come here just for that…" She heard him swallow and felt a kiss land at the back of her head. "I need you to forgive me, Jess."

There was a long pause, and she frowned, nearly speaking as she fought the urge to turn around and hug him—Of course she would forgive him—but he spoke first, saying what she was least expecting to hear in the dark tonight.

"I cheated on you."

To Be Continued.

* * *

**A/N2:** -sigh- I know, some of you hate me, Jackie and Hyde can never be together now and I ruined the whole story, but before you go all mean kitty on me and start ripping me to shreds, consider that there is still six days left in this story. I would not put JH through all this for no reason and I'm sorry but it's _never_ too late for them. Yes, I'm totally breaking all zennie code with what I'm writing but I promise, promise, promise, there _will_ be redemption in the end. And they will have EARNED it. Remember, it was the tough times that they could never seem to overcome, not the perfect ones. For now, though, I send you a smile. :) Please have faith in them because I still do. 

Oh, and check out my profile for the link to my Youtube page. There's a JH video I made for my readers there, with a message at the end. It's called 'Apologize.' I have others, too, and a dirty one, if you wanna check 'em out. :P


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29: In The Eye Of The Storm**

**A/N: **CRAP! This chapter was hard to write. I'm so sorry for the wait. Anyway, I want to say thank you. Maybe I underestimated my readers, or, at least, my reviewers. I thought for sure you'd all be pissed after last chapter, but you all proved me wrong, so thank you. Also, I hear your concerns and frustrations, especially regarding Jackie. She's dealing with her own demons still. Just be patient with her. I think my main goal for writing this story is going to start showing itself in this chapter. Anyway, it picks up after this, and shit will finally start happening. I'm excited as hell to write the next three chapters!! Yay!!

**Note**: This first flashback is from something that really happened in season 8. Just so you know…

Oh, and Happy Belated Birthday, Sophia! ;)

* * *

I know it's hard to keep an open heart  
When even friends seem out to harm you  
But if you could heal the broken heart  
It would, in time, be out to charm you

* * *

_Late September, 1979_

_Her legs had taken her far away that night. Farther than they had ever traveled. They were used to it, though, running away, tired from it even, but escape was crucial this time. It was spiraling dizzily, her life, spinning so far out of control that her skin would start to crawl until a chill would confuse her nerves and send her into an even more horrific discomfort. _

"_Why are you friends with her?" _

"_You know… I don't know."_

_The sound of Donna's betrayal made Jackie's face contort as she bolted up the stairs. It wasn't sadness anymore, causing her muscles to constrict; it was a cold sort of fury that was taking over. There had been a fire inside her, ignited at birth. It had burned so brightly, but, with each passing second, and with every new infidelity, her flames were becoming smothered and choked of life. She hadn't chosen it but it had certainly chosen her. This path. It was a test. And they had all elected against her. They had laid down her road, brick by brick, and she simply walked it, followed it with mistrust and resentment strapped to her tiny back until it grew strong and rigid with pride. _

_Jackie slammed Donna's bedroom door shut and backed away. She could hear her 'best friend', and the whore who had stolen her hopes and dreams, laughing and talking about her, and the world as Jackie knew it simply went black._

_There had been a fire inside and, with nothing warm to hold onto, it had flickered out without a sound…_

* * *

… **Five Years Later …**

**Sunday**

**November 25, 1984**

**9:53 a.m.**

There was a delicate quietness to the day's break, but it was beautiful, the way the gray morning light reflected off the glassy ice. Nothing had been spared of it. The earth was covered, the life inside it still as the dead.

Pressing her forehead to the window, Jessica frowned down at Hyde's iced-over car below. It was resting at a cockeyed angle and taking up two spaces.

She shook her head. "Asshole."

Feeling a chill starburst from the center of her chest, Jessica straightened up and squeezed her coffee mug, wiggling herself deeper into her oversized sweatshirt before turning around. Her swollen, from crying, brown eyes fell on the sleeping body on her couch and she watched his naked back rise and fall. The last thing she had expected was for him to open his eyes, but that he did, as if he knew he was being watched.

Half-asleep still, Hyde sat up. "Hey."

Jessica didn't respond. Instead, she walked over and sat down on the other end of the couch.

"You still want me to go?" he asked tentatively. She was quiet, though, and Hyde looked over. "I don't know what you want me to do." He took a much-needed, deep breath. "If I leave you're gonna think…"

"Do whatever you want," she responded coldly, watching tremors animate her coffee. "You always do anyway."

Hyde turned his head forward and let out a heavy sigh as Jessica took off for the kitchen. He was in for a shit day, and, like a dumb ass, he had done it to himself…

* * *

Thirty-Eight Miles Away

At the Same Time

Colin tilted his head and watched his fiancé from beneath the door jamb of her bedroom. He always found himself attracted to the way her dark hair spilled over the pillow as she slept. She was beautiful. Fuck, she was _perfect_. And she was lying like a thief to him. He would have bet his life on it.

Yawning, and finally removing his suspicious eyes from Jackie, Colin walked toward the bedroom closet. It was a cold morning. The parking lot outside was covered in ice, he noticed as he passed by the frosted window. The temperature had dropped below freezing. The rain had frozen over. The bed had been cold, like ice, on his skin. Jackie's arms, though, had been even colder.

Colin shivered and opened the closet door, praying he forgot one of his sweatshirts when he had packed, a long-sleeved shirt maybe, anything. He sifted through the clothes and stopped with a smile. A black hooded sweatshirt. He didn't remember it but he was certainly glad it was here.

Slipping it on, Colin quickly realized it wasn't his. He smelled it with a frown. It smelled like a man.

"Jackie?"

"Huh," she let out sleepily from the bed.

"Whose sweatshirt is this?"

* * *

Jessica's Apartment

Later that day

"GET OUT!"

"No!"

Instinct forced Hyde's head down to his chest and he felt the breeze of a hairbrush whipping wildly past the right side of his head and heard it slam into the wall behind him. Hyde grimaced in concern. Had she missed on purpose?

He straightened up and pointed. "Don't be doing that, Jess!" He raised his arm to block his face as _Jessica_ raised her toothbrush with narrowed, furious eyes.

"Then get out!"

Hyde straightened up. "You _really_ want me to go, I'll go!" He waited, staring harshly into her eyes. She was thinking, but not a sound left her lips until she blew out a frustrated growl and stormed past him out of the bathroom.

Hyde sighed and stared exhaustedly into the mirror. Fifteen hours since his confession and he wasn't sure how much more he could take of this shit, but he would not leave. He turned around instead and followed her into the bedroom, where she lay crying on her bed.

He climbed in and laid his head on the pillow. "You can throw whatever the hell you want at me, Jess, I'm not leaving."

"What did I do?" Jessica asked tenaciously. They were facing each other, and Hyde watched her stare into her own question, searching for some kind of rationalization for what he could not even explain. "I can't think of what I did that you would…" She started to cry harder. "I tell you everyday that I love you. I clean your house. I shop for your stupid groceries. I let you do whatever the hell you want." She closed her eyes. "What did I do?"

"You didn't do any…"

She opened her eyes at him and smacked his bare chest. "Nothing! I did _nothing_ to you!"

"I know that!" he yelled back. "_I_ screwed up. Okay? I know that." Carefully, he inched toward her and pulled her into what must have been the tenth hug they had shared since the night before. He was holding so much information back and she was_ still_ so devastated. It made him grateful that he had not divulged every detail of what he had done. Jessica had no idea it was Jackie, no idea of his intentions to start a new life with her. This was enough. In fact, this was too much for the sensitive blond. A random, drunken one-night stand; it was all she could take.

"God," Jessica sobbed quietly, speaking a minute later. "Just tell me it was only once, that you don't..."

Hyde blinked slowly. "It was only once."

Immediately, he felt a heavy portion of her stress leave her overwrought body, and he felt guilty about lying, but he was finally culpable in her eyes. That was all that mattered. He was guilty. It was up to her now. Forgiveness. No one seemed of any to spare these days, though. And, so far, Jessica was no different.

But he held her anyway and closed his eyes when she wiggled in, crying into his chest. She would scream at him and then want him to hold her. It was confusing as hell and new, but it was comfort, he was realizing, that she needed. It was the suture that held each stage together. Hurt. Sadness. Anger. Grief. Each one had its own bridge to the next. And Jessica, he noticed, could only cross when inside his arms.

Unsure of anything anymore, Hyde hooked his chin over Jessica's head, frowning. For the most of his life, he had avoided this type of hassle and it got him thinking thoughts that beelined straight to Jackie. Believe all he want that he hadn't wanted her back after Vegas, but it was partly a lie. He had been jaded and lazy, and too scared of not being forgiven. He had avoided THIS. He had nearly left the night before with Jessica, too, not wanting to go through this crap with her either. It was just easier just to walk away sometimes, to lie and let it all go, but something made him stay. Something made him think of Jackie in the midst of it all, made him wonder who had held _her_ when _she_ had cried for him…

* * *

**The Next Day**

**Monday**

**November 26, 1984**

**3:54 p.m.**

**Mary's Bridal Shop and Tuxes**

"Oh my God. What did you tell him?"

Jackie held out her arms. "What _could_ I tell him? I lied, Brooke! I told him it was Michael's. That I borrowed it 'cause I was cold. So I _definitely_ need to get to Michael before Colin does." Her voice faded and became fragmented breath. Her depleted energy offered only enough to keep her standing in this dressing room, covered from head to toe in silk and lace, and stare into the mirror. The contrast of her dark hair set against white was striking. Her collarbone was flawlessly displayed. Her breasts looked incredible. And if she thought another shallow, futile thought, she was going to throw up.

"Jackie, what's the matter?" Jackie closed her eyes and felt a measured burn. "Jackie."

The door to the large room swung open. "God! Is it ever gonna stop raining?" Donna, soaked nearly to the bone, stopped and shut the door, looking strangely at Brooke. "Why is she in a wedding dress?"

"I'm getting married," Jackie let out callously and opened her eyes. "Or did you forget?"

Donna grimaced. "What's the matter with_ you_?"

At that, Jackie spun around to glare at her oldest friend. "Why does everybody keep asking me that? _Nothing_ is the matter with me. I'm fine. In fact, I'm perfect. Look at me!" She swung her dress back around and posed in front of mirror. "How could I not be in this dress?"

Cautiously, Donna frowned. "I just figured you already had one picked out since you were, like, five."

Jackie shook her head and studied the lace detail on the bodice of her gown, letting her fingers trace over the slight ridges and curves. "I haven't tried a wedding dress on in years." Donna and Brooke shared a concerned look as she reached over, grabbed the veil she had selected, and placed it on her head. "See." A chill ran up her spine. The _place_ was _freezing_. "Perfect."

Driving Donna's body forward, the door swung open again. "You're not gonna believe this," Amy blurted out and stepped inside, shutting the door. "The guys are here."

Donna frowned again, confused. "What guys?"

"_Our_ guys," Amy clarified, giving Donna a sharp grimace. "The same idiots we hang around with everyday." She gestured at Jackie. "Including Hyde."

"What?!" Spinning around, Jackie ran to the door and opened it, just a sliver.

Amy shifted her consideration to Brooke. "You better get out of that dress; Kelso can't see you in it before the wedding. It's bad luck."

Jackie turned around and slapped Amy in the arm. "Tell me that's _not_ Jessica," she growled. "Tell me right now, Amy!"

Amy winced, concerned for her own safety. "It's Jessica."

Dismayed, Jackie fell into the seat behind her. "I can't do this." She shook her head. "I can't…I can't do this again." As she sat, and as her friends looked on, Jackie's squinted until her eyes were as puckered as her lips. "I know exactly what that jerk's up to, too."

"Jackie, it's fine. Just stay in here until he leaves." Brooke turned to Amy. "Why are they even here? They're fitting appointment isn't until tomorrow, and Michael's is already done."

"I don't know," Amy shrugged. "Fez didn't even mention it today when I said I was coming with you guys."

"See," Jackie murmured angrily. "He's here to make out with her in front of me."

"Oh God," Donna scoffed, rolling her eyes. "No, he's not, Jackie. Stop being so dramatic. You know, I hate to tell you, not _everything_ is about _you_." The red head raised her hands, her face laden with disdain. "He takes her everywhere."

Now scowling, Jackie slowly rose to her feet. "What did you say?"

"Donna…" From behind the seething brunette, Brooke swept the side of her hand across her throat in a very distinct message. "Stop it," she mouthed silently.

"What makes you think he wouldn't be, Donna?!" Jackie's voice grew more ragged. "That's what he does! He did it to me with that whore wife of his! He did it to me every time he brought another one of his skank girlfriends around. Why are you _always_ taking his side?"

"Jackie, I'm not taking anyone's side."

Jackie's frown deepened. "Why not? You're supposed to be _my_ best friend! And best friends take each other's side over a man,_ Donna_! I _always_ took your side!"

Practically begging to be challenged, Donna raised her eyebrows. "Not always."

Jackie's eyes narrowed.

"Alright." Brooke stepped in between them. "Enough."

"You're a bitch," Jackie pointed behind Brooke's back.

Donna's mouth fell open. "Why am _I_ a bitch?"

"You have _never_ once sided with me! Even when Michael left me, you left _with_ him. You didn't even try to stop him. You're so selfish!"

"Oh, _I'm_ selfish? You, _Jackie_, are calling _me_ selfish?"

"I'm calling you a bitch, too," Jackie returned the raised eyebrows tauntingly, placing her hand on her hip. "You sided with that skank, Sam," she rumbled, feeling unusually hostile inside. They wanted a selfish bitch; they were going to get one, she decided. She had skated by her pain once before like this and it was high time to begin again. "And him." Her voice wavered and gave out on her, so she turned around to Amy and Brooke. "Either of you two want to take his side, too? Huh? Like my _best_ friend Donna here?"

Both looked down, Brooke shaking her head in indignation, as Donna raised her hands in perplexity. "What did I say?"

Brooke, in response, grabbed Jackie's hand and tried to pull her to the other side of the room. "Jackie…Come sit down. Just stay in here with me. Donna, maybe you should just go out with the..."

"No._ I'm_ going," Jackie insisted, pulling her hand from Brooke's grasp. "I can't breathe in this God damn room." It was true. She was already beginning to feel dizzy. Life was spiraling again, and it hurt like hell. "He can screw her right there on the floor, Brooke. I don't care anymore."

"Jackie," Donna called out and shook her head as her angry friend flung the door open and left. "I don't what's wrong with her lately."

Brooke made a face, "Are you serious," as Jackie walked out into the bridal shop with her chin held high. Her expression hard, she tried to breathe, nearly choking as she looked over Kelso, Fez and Eric, who stood staring strangely at her and her dress.

"Hey, Jackie," Fez said cautiously.

"Why are you in a wedding dress?" Kelso asked her.

Ignoring him, Jackie turned her attention briefly to Hyde. He was sitting in a chair and, right then, looked up at her coldly, or so she interpreted. Beside him was Jessica, who simply smiled. With a melodramatic flare of obstinacy, Jackie grabbed her dress and spun around to face the large full-length mirror. She could play his game; she could beat him at it even. He couldn't hurt her anymore. None of them could. She felt nothing.

"Oh my God." Jessica came around her left side. "I _love_ this dress." She smiled and looked down, lifting the brunette's hand. "Holy shit. Is this yours?" She looked up excitedly. "Is this…"

"It's an engagement ring," Jackie answered with feigned exuberance, smiling pompously back at all four watching men, lingering a bit longer on Hyde. "Colin proposed."

Jessica's mouth fell open. "Oh my God. Well it's beautiful," the blond squealed. "Congratulations!" Jackie's body froze when Jessica hugged her gleefully; she couldn't stop herself from thinking that this was what he felt every day. It was a strange sensation. Jessica was warm and kind and comfortable and Jackie found herself hugging the girl back tightly, feeling like a monster.

Jessica pulled back, her giant smile falling at Jackie's dismayed expression. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Jackie uttered, shaking her head. "I just…I need to get out of this dress. It's too tight." She raised her dress off the floor and ran back into the dressing room.

"Jess," Hyde called out before the blond could follow. Jessica looked over. "C'mere." She wrinkled her face at him, making him sigh sharply in another defeat. "Please. Would you just c'mere?" He glared over at his friends as they snickered. It was a bad idea bringing her, but he had had no clue that Jackie would be here. Kelso never once mentioned it.

He would kill him later.

Jessica walked over mulishly and stopped in front of him, folding her arms. "What?"

"Just sit down with me." He looked up. "I want to get this done and get out of here."

"I was just talking to Jackie for a second," Jessica argued, still on her feet.

"Why?" he sneered. "You hate her."

"I _don't_ hate her," Jessica insisted, raising the inflection in her voice. "In fact… _I_ kind of like her. We bonded over your cheap, generic, shit beer, Mr.Stripper Marryer."

"Ooooh." Kelso, Eric and Fez all looked at each other. "Ouch."

"Delayed ex-girlfriend burn. Nice."

"He's had that one coming."

His eyebrows furrowed, Hyde shot a blistering glare at his friends. "Will you morons _shut up_?" He turned back to Jessica. "What the hell are talking about?"

"_Michael!"_ Brooke called out from the dressing room. _"Get in here!"_

"_Michael's in trouble, too-oo_," Fez sang, snickering and making Eric chuckle as Hyde practically dragged a defiantly mute Jessica to the front of the store.

Glaring at his two amused friends, Kelso headed over to his fiancé and closed himself inside the dressing room. He looked around the room and took immediate notice of the vacant, distressed look on his ex-girlfriend's face as she sat on the floor. "What's wrong with Jackie?"

"What do you think, Kelso?" Donna answered. "And why did you bring him here? You guys knew she was gonna be here with us."

A little confused, Kelso looked around at all the angry faces. "What? No. Leo's getting released from the hospital tomorrow so Hyde could only do it today and Eric has some biology test. Oh and, hey, he showed me his Biology book. It was way kinky. You need to put the foot down, Donna."

Brooke smacked his arm. "Who's watching our children, Michael?!"

"Ow! Christie."

"Michael!" Brooke scolded, her jaw dropping. "She's got _cancer_!"

Jackie looked up, frowning. "_Michael_, she's got cancer."

"Well she's got eyes, too, doesn't she?" Kelso argued. "We're helping her out; she can watch the kids for a few hours!"

Brooke closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Just get Hyde fitted and _get __out_ of here before World War III breaks out."

"Okay. But I don't know what everybody's got their panties in a bunch about. Hyde's over it. He's got his own problems with Jessica."

Upon the news, Jackie felt something meaningful in her chest slide and she shifted uncomfortably.

"Just get rid of him, Michael," Brooke demanded.

"Oh my God." Jackie looked up. "Wait." She got to her feet and rushed over to him, raising her hands gingerly. "I need you to listen to me…_very carefully_, Michael. If you talk to Colin and he asks you about a sweatshirt…"

"Oh, yeah," Kelso nodded. "I told him it wasn't mine."

Jackie's face turned to stone. "_What?!"_ She stepped closer. "Michael, tell me you're kidding." She grabbed the scruff of his shirt. "Tell me you're kidding or so help me God…"

"Alright. Alright." Brooke stepped in. "I need to _marry_ him in a few days, _Jackie_," she reminded the smaller girl. "Let _go_ of him!" Jackie let go, her glare still fixed hard on him, though. "Thank you."

Kelso looked at the mother of his children, confused and scared. "Was that wrong?"

"Okay." Donna frowned and stepped forward. "Ok. So _what_ exactly did you say to him, Kelso?"

"Wait," Amy stepped up to the conversation, her eyes dancing around inquisitively. "What's the deal with the sweatshirt? I'm lost."

"Yeah. What did you say?" Brooke repeated, making Kelso more nervous as he looked around at the expectant female faces, hanging on his next words.

"We were just talking," he whined. "I called him about Thanksgiving and he said Jackie had my sweatshirt, that he would bring it, and I was like, "What sweatshirt?" and he said, "The black one you let Jackie borrow," and I was like, "Nuh uh!" and then I don't remember what happened after that." He winced, noticing the expression on Jackie's face. "Why is she looking at me like that?"

"Never mind her," Brooke responded. "Just go get Hyde and Eric fitted and go!"

"Fine!" Kelso snapped back. "But you broads are acting cuckoo today! And I don't want no part of it!" Gently, though, he kissed his fiancé on her cheek. "Except you, baby…I love you."

"Uh huh. Just go…"

* * *

Out in the store, Hyde dragged Jessica's obstinate body to the front and stopped. "Who told you about her?" 

Jessica scowled. "So it's true!"

"Yeah, it's true," he snapped back. "Who told you?"

"I'm not telling." Jessica folded her arms stubbornly. "I promised I wouldn't."

"God damn it, Jess. You _better_ tell me."

"Or _what?"_she challenged._ "_What are you gonna do?"

Hyde's face fell flat. "Fine," he growled. "You wanna test me?" He looked over at his friends. "I'm gonna just assume it's…_Kelso_, and kick his ass right in this store, and _then_, I'm gonna tell Fez that you were making fun of his pants." He waited, returning her challenge with a glare, but she remained tough as a mule. "Alright. If that's how you want it," he said and turned to make good on his threat.

Jessica grabbed him. "Okay, okay." She pointed. "But you have to swear you won't say anything or get mad at the person. You can't tell them that I told you. I promised! And you _better_ tell me everything I wanna know!"

Hyde blinked and thought about it. "Fair enough."

"It was Jackie," she admitted hesitantly. "I asked her and she told me."

"You asked her_ what?"_

"Why you two broke up." Hyde grimaced at her response. "What?" Jessica bit. "I had a right to know… And _you_ lied. You said it was because she cheated on you… She didn't, though; did she? It was_ you_."

"I _thought_ she had, okay? And I know what you're getting at, Jess. I don't make it a habit of cheating."

"You cheated on her twice, Steven."

"Not that it's any of your business, but it was _once_," he correctly derisively. "The other chick…Sam…that wasn't cheating."

"Oh, that's right…Sam, the _stripper_," she knocked. "I can't believe you were _married_and you didn't even tell me!"

"Yeah…kind of…I was married."

Jessica frowned. "_Kind_ of?"

"She already had a husband" he explained, slightly embarrassed. "She was fucking crazy, Jess. I was drunk. I don't even remember the ceremony."

Jessica narrowed her eyes. "There was a _ceremony?_"

"No?" Hyde took a step back.

"God, Steven, did you love her?"

"Who?"

"Your _wife!_"

"No!"

"Who did you think I was talking about?"

"My…the stripper," he staggered. "I knew who you were talking about."

"I can't even get you to tell me how you_ feel_ about me…and some," She lowered her voice. "…fucking stripper from Las Vegas got you to _marry_ her?" Jessica stopped there. The question was not meant to be rhetorical. But she wasn't surprised when he chose this moment to be silent. She nodded. "So…Is that what you want, Steven? Someone like that? A stripper?"

Scrubbing his tongue along his lower teeth, Hyde shook his head. "I can't believe I'm answering to _you_ over this now. You weren't even around at the time."

"No, I wasn't. Thank God. But it's very telling."

"Telling of_ what?"_

"Of _you_," she clarified. "If you did that to Jackie, then…God, why wouldn't you do it to me, too?"

Frustrated, Hyde blew out a breath and paced in front of her for a second, shaking his head. "Christ." He stopped. "That was _five_ years ago, Jess. I was…" Grabbing her arm, he pulled her further away from meddlesome ears and lowered his voice. "Look, I went to Vegas 'cause I was pissed, okay. I was nineteen. I wasn't thinking… It was a mistake, too, but I'm not gonna apologize to _you_ for something that happened between me and Jackie. I'm just not." He waited, but she just looked at him, unwilling to argue. "Look. I shouldn't have lied to you. Okay? Even though I wasn't_ technically_ married, I probably… should've just told you about Sam when we got serious."

"Why did you stay with her?"

"It was only a month," he explained, trying to minimize his own guilt, but Jessica's arms refolded themselves and he knew it was useless. He rolled his eyes, mostly to mask his embarrassment. "I didn't know what else to do…"

* * *

"That's it!" Jackie threw up her arms as Kelso walked out. "It's over. Colin knows." 

"You don't know that," Brooke replied. "Just say you forgot and that it's…Kevin's or something."

"And what? Lie some more, Brooke? So that when I finally do tell him what happened, he can remember all those fabulous times that I lied to him like he was some kind of idiot."

"Jackie," Donna cut in. "I actually agree with Brooke on this…Okay, yes, lying is wrong, but telling him at this point is going to do you no good. He's just gonna leave you, and you've got Hyde to think about. He hasn't told Jessica. You'll ruin his relationship, too."

"So it's _him_ you're concerned about?"

Donna rolled her eyes. "No! That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that…"

"Hey." The room went quiet as Jessica poked her head in. "Can I sit in here with you guys? My boyfriend's an ass."

Sharing a brief look with Jackie, Donna waved her in. "Yeah. Join the club."

Jessica stepped in, taking a moment to notice that Jackie was on the floor alone as Amy pulled Donna and Brooke into the corner to have a whisper-fest. Unsure of what was happening, she sat down next to the veiled brunette in front of the mirror, Indian style. "Are they talking about me?" she whispered, referring to the secretive huddle.

"No," Jackie grumbled. "Those bitches are talking about me. I'm in a bad mood." She studied Jessica's shy reflection and took mercy, most of it breeding out of guilt. "Here." Pulling off her veil, Jackie placed it on Jessica's head, waiting as the blond adjusted it worriedly. "No, go ahead. It's fun. I used to do it all the time."

"Do what?"

"On the weekends, I would go to the mall and try on wedding dresses. It made me feel better. Some girls eat and get fat when they're depressed. I tried on wedding dresses. It's a much healthier vice, and plus you don't get fat."

Jessica smiled and wiggled closer, admiring her own reflection. "I've always wanted to try one of these on." She straightened her back and fluffed the veil.

Jackie laughed. "See. Fun."

The blond studied herself a moment and let her smile fall. "God, I'm never going to get married." She shook her head and let out a feeble laugh. "I can't even get him to say he loves me."

Jackie stared at Jessica sympathetically, beginning to see past her own guilt to the person that sat beside her. It would have been so much easier to hate her. But she couldn't. Instead, she wanted to beg her forgiveness, for being too weak, for not letting go of Hyde five years earlier when she should have. "It's not you," Jackie said quietly. "He's always been like that."

Whatever it was that Jackie said hit Jessica's sensibilities, making her eyes water with tears. "He cheated on me," she whispered to Jackie. "He told me a couple days ago…I don't know what to do."

Jackie arrested all movement. For the obvious reasons, she hadn't been expecting this conversation, and she felt her heart blast into her throat. Her first instinct was to flee. "I'm…" Panic started to set in. She wasn't sure yet how to respond. What had he told her? "I…"

"He cheated on you, too, right?" Jessica asked, pulling off the veil. "When you were dating."

Slowly, Jackie nodded, realizing that, for whatever reason, Hyde had decided to confess, but had not decided to take her down with him. "Yeah," she answered timidly. "He did."

"You stayed with him, though."

"No, well…I broke up with him… for a couple months while I figured out what to do, and just to pretty much punish him, but…" Jackie sighed, releasing some of her worry. "It kind of backfired on me."

Jessica frowned. "Oh…Well, did he do it again?"

"Oh, _God_, no," Jackie laughed. "He knew better than to cheat on _me_ again, and see…" Pausing mid-story, she scooted herself ninety degrees to the right to face her new friend. "He actually thought I had cheated on _him_ first, so he cheated back, like to retaliate, but I _hadn't_ cheated. He's just a big, stupid dummy who sees things and assumes."

"Isn't that what happened with the stripper?" Jessica asked, confused.

"Well…" Jackie knit her eyebrows. "Yeah…So… Eh, I guess maybe he didn't learn." It was strange, but telling the tale to someone who, sort of, understood, Jackie smiled. It felt good to share, even with her theoretical adversary. It felt like deliverance.

Jessica sighed and began to shape the trim of Jackie's dress. "I'm sorry to throw this at you, I just… I don't know who to talk to. My sister hates him, and my friends, they don't really like him…"

Jackie nodded. "Yeah, Steven's an acquired taste," she laughed.

Jessica smiled. "I just feel like if I forgive him, then…I'm a sucker, and he'll think he can do it again. But…at the same time, I love him and I don't wanna lose him. I just wonder, though," Her eyes coated with saline once more. "…why I can't get him to love me back." The blond drew in a shuttered breath, driving Jackie to shake her head.

"Oh, no, he does," she tried to assure her. "He's just…a complete_ bonehead_," Jackie scowled. "You have to understand something about Steven, Jessica… He's an idiot! One of the worst I've _ever_ come across in my dealings. He doesn't think. He's just _does_, like a lab monkey, and not the smart ones that figure stuff out." Her eyebrows pitched mockingly as she shook her head. "He's the kind that eventually starves and then dies… But deep inside, he has all these feelings that he bottles. You just have to _force_ him to show them, like by smacking him or kicking him." Jackie smiled broadly; glad to help, sort of. God. What the hell was she doing consorting with the enemy?

Jessica broke out into laughter, pondering as she tilted her head at Jackie. "You know, you don't seem like you're in a bad mood."

"_That's_ because _you're_ not irritating the crap out of me like _those_ nosy bitches are." Jackie smiled and grabbed the veil, planting it on her own head. "We need to get you a dress to try on…"

* * *

Fifteen Minutes Later

Like he was preparing to take-off in flight, Hyde raised his arms, flipping his eyes to the ceiling as a man measured the length of his arms and sides.

Down on the floor beside him, Kelso grimaced. "How could you tell her, man? Without even being caught yet."

"Um, it's called common courtesy, Kelso," Eric cut in. "Like, for example, _'Hey, just so you know, I worship the devil'_, but see in Hyde's case it's just a slight variation… _'I've been banging Jackie."_ He grinned, causing Hyde to shake his head.

"Will you two keep it down? I'm in enough shit."

"Oh, I am sure there is much more coming, my friend," Fez snickered.

Kelso shook his head, laughing. "He's so screwed."

"You can put your arms down," the man informed him, continuing to measure when Hyde complied. He stood there tightening his jaw, wondering what in the hell the chicks were talking about. As far as he knew, Jessica wanted to keep his infidelity private; he just hoped it stayed that way. So many things could go wrong, and he was just counting the minutes until this wedding crap was over. Then everybody could go back to ignoring each other for weeks at a time, like normal.

He heard the sudden cackle of women bowling over in laughter and looked over to the back of the store just in time to catch his ex and his current girlfriend stumble out, laughing and holding hands, both dressed in wedding gowns. "What the fuck."

All four men watched, stunned while Jackie dragged Jessica toward another rack of dresses.

Eric grinned. "I think I wished for this once for my birthday." He was so happy. The look of horror on Hyde's face was priceless.

"Yes, this is good," Fez agreed and settled in to watch.

"Jess," Hyde whispered harshly, trying to get her attention. "Jess!"

"You might wanna speak a little louder," Kelso advised him, bringing Hyde's glare onto himself.

"This is your fault!" Hyde accused.

"How?"

"I don't know yet." At his limit, Hyde inhaled deeply through his nose. _"Jessica!"_

Jessica snapped her head at him. "What?"

"C'mere!"

"No! I'm busy!"

"Oooh," his friends groaned in unison.

Hyde closed his mouth. It wasn't Jessica's defiance, or her little game to make him miserable, that was bothering him as much as it was that when he looked over at Jackie, she smiled like a mischievous sprite. He had done his best to push his anger toward her from his mind; he had enough to deal with, but now she was pushing him. Not only had she ditched him and run back to Colin, but now she was fucking with what was left of his own relationship.

"Man, fuck this," Hyde grumbled and turned to the man in front of him. "You done?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Good." He looked at his friends. "I'm outta here." Then he turned to Jessica, who wasn't even paying attention anymore. "You wanna play dress-up, fine!" Angrily, he pointed across the street. "I'm going to eat!"

"Ooh, we're going to eat!" Kelso exclaimed happily as all the boys shot to their feet.

"No,_I'm_ going to eat!" Hyde rumbled and walked out of the store.

"Where are we going?" Fez asked. Eric shrugged in response and just followed Hyde out the door.

"Fucking chicks." Hyde crossed the street, grumbling to himself. They were lunatics. All of them! Now Jackie had Jessica acting like her, playing pretty, pretty princess like a nut. What the hell was it that got into Jackie when she was plopped in the middle of wedding crap? It was as if weddings made her crazy, like her dopey little brain was made of nothing but white lace and fluff…

_February 11, 1979_

"_Steven!" _

_He had looked up from his magazine with complete indifference. He had been comfortable here, on his fluffy bed, surrounded by a mound of blankets and six copies of the same picture of her. It was a good magazine, too. _

_Jackie tossed her hands up and let them drop loudly to her sides. "So you have nothing to say to me?"_

_He pointed. "Yeah, your shirt's on inside out."_

_When she growled and stomped her foot, he wanted so badly to smile. Instead, he maintained the apathetic affect on his face and returned to his magazine. _

_All charged up, Jackie stalked over. "How could you just leave me there? I opened the door and you were gone!"_

"_Wow. You're observant."_

"_Yeah, well you're a jerk!"_

_Hyde looked up. "Look! I told you… And you promised! No more wedding crap!"_

"_Donna sent me to dress Eric, Steven! I was simply helping out a friend in a jam."_

"_By trying on a wedding dress?!"_

"_You said I looked beautiful!"_

"_That's not the point!"_

_That seemed to shut her up for a second because she huffed and pursed her lips. They held each other's stubborn gaze for a moment, but it was Jackie who broke first and sat down dejectedly, tossing up her frustrated hands._

"_We're never gonna get married, are we?" _

_Hyde slapped his magazine shut and dropped his head back, closing his eyes. "Jackie. You're not even out of high school yet." For maybe a minute, he sat there, thinking, beginning to feel bad, and wondered how the hell she had gotten this way, so ready to throw her life away to marriage. "Why are even __**talking**__ about marriage? We're…" His eyes opening, Hyde was reminded of the genuine look of disenchantment on her face and sighed. "Hey..." She looked back, pouting, making him shake his head in defeat. "Fuck. C'mere…Can't we just drop this for now?" _

"_Fine." Jackie scooted back. "But you'll see, Steven," she said, snuggling against him. "One day, you're just gonna be too late… I'm not gonna wait around for you forever, you know." It was a statement that usually meant, and was typically followed by, her exit, but not on that day. She had simply let it go and ended up reading his magazine with him. He had blown it off that day, the argument, tossed it aside as just another example of her craziness, actually believing that she would love him, and beg for him, for eternity. He turned out to be wrong, and, as he was discovering, she was true to her crazy words…_

* * *

The HuKeLau

5:21 p.m.

Kelso looked over his menu. "You know, I've always found it amazing that Asian people have pretty much all the same stuff we do, chicken, beef; the Chinese are so advanced."

"Kelso, this is a _Polynesian_ restaurant," Donna corrected from across the table.

Kelso looked beside himself at Fez, who simply shrugged. "Yeah. I'm not…We're… not hearing the difference."

Hyde smiled and leaned across Fez. "Hey, Kelso. You know what I think you'd love," he pointed at his friend's menu. "The 'CumOfSumYungGuy." With his tongue hanging out, he sat back down and chuckled at Eric, who was sitting across from him, between Brooke and Donna.

Searching his menu, Kelso frowned. "Is that beef or chicken?"

Hyde grinned at Eric. "This is way too easy." Eric smiled back. "I almost feel guilty," he added as Jessica, sitting to his right, swatted his arm.

"Ow!"

"Stop being a _jerk,"_ she whispered.

Sulking angrily, Hyde sat back and folded his arms, his eyes immediately falling left to where Jackie sat quietly in the corner next to Donna. _She_ would have laughed at the burn.

"Hey, Donna." Kelso said mockingly. "If this is a Pokanasian restaurant…"

"_POL_-Y-nesian," Donna pronounced slowly. "Not 'Poke an Asian."

"Yeah, we're still…" Fez pointed to his ear and shook his head. "Yeah, not hearing the difference."

"Anyway, if this place isn't Chinese," Kelso grabbed a cookie from a plate in the center of the table. "…then explain to me why they have fortune cookies, huh."

"You know, I have no idea," she replied and grabbed two, handing one to Jackie.

Fez grabbed one, too, and nudged Kelso. "What's yours say?"

Kelso frowned suspiciously. "What's _yours_ say?"

"Dessert CAN make you happy." Fez read. "I think it is telling me to order the pie."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Oh, for Christ's sake..."

Crossly, Fez pointed at her. "Do not start, woman!"

"Well mine says, 'Feeding a cow with roses does not get you extra appreciation." Kelso scoffed and threw down the tiny, white piece of paper. "Now, that's a lie. Big Rhonda was a big fan of the roses, am I right, Fez?"

"You better believe it, buddy."

Amy made a face. "Big Rhonda?"

At that, Donna opened her mouth, but Jackie stopped her. "Don't. Just…don't," she laughed.

Hyde grimaced as he read his. "Time to break out of that corner and get that rut unstuck…What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He threw it down. "What a jip."

"Oh," Donna smiled and read her fortune. "Today, some new connections will be very exciting, indeed."

Jackie opened her cookie. "Lights will guide you home." She sneered. "Well that's stupid."

"Hey," Donna responded encouragingly. "…it could mean that you're going to hit every green light on the way home." Upon Jackie's unchanging expression of distaste, Donna's face fell. "Yeah, that's lame."

"Yeah, it is," Kelso complained. "I take back what I said, the Chinese have no…" He pulled out a second fortune from another crumbled yellow cookie, derailing his train of thought as he read. "Be aware of the dead. They are all around." A nervous tension washed over his face. "Well what does that mean?"

"It means you're cursed, Kelso," Eric snickered. "Watch out for ghosts. Ooooh…"

Kelso frowned. "That's not funny, man. Sometimes I think maybe I am." He looked around the table at the unconcerned faces of his friends. "Ever since the ghost of the third class corridor touched my shoulder, I've been having bad luck. She hates men, remember!"

"The ghost of the what?" Jessica asked, confused.

Donna rolled her eyes. "That stupid haunted boat we went to on Halloween…There was this 'ghost lady," she laughed. "…and she grabbed Kelso. He totally freaked out and ran away screaming."

"She grabbed me, too," Hyde remembered, a disquieted expression on his face. "She was freaky, man."

"See! You're cursed, too," Kelso pointed. "Your store fell down, Leo got hurt, and…other things," he trailed off at the warning glare Hyde gave him. "We're cursed, man!"

"Oh, Kelso," Fez shook his head. "You are not cursed. In my country, when you are cursed, you know it."

"But I know it, man!" Kelso whined.

"Oh," Fez frowned with concern. "Well then too bad for you..."

As the conversation continued and morphed into a muffled hum, Jackie sat in pause, still waiting like an animal being hunted. Her mind was locked and convinced. He was cruel, under his skin a monster. Any minute now he was going to lay the final blow. Any second his alcohol-stung lips were going to land on the girl beside him, his hands were going to roam and squeeze her flesh, and from five feet away, tear her heart out. She was just…waiting for it; she was ready because it was just what happened when his love soured.

Jackie glanced left again to where Hyde and Jessica were seated, though. They were just sitting there, like a couple of bored dogs in the summer heat, Jessica playing with her napkin, Hyde pouting, occasionally stealing a peek at Jackie.

During one of his awkward glances, Jackie nervously looked away and laid her eyes on another maddening couple she'd been watching. What was it about strangers and their kissy faces, their happy, sloppy, stupid… pieholes, when she was locked in one of these moods? Jackie snorted like a bull. They all made her sick. Who makes out at a restaurant bar in front of people? What a _skank._

Shifting in her chair, Jackie flipped her eyes away haughtily, but quickly excused herself to peek back over. It was the lure, the curiosity of utter disgust; that was all. Like a car wreck, or porn. The happy woman and her boyfriend—she guessed since there was no ring between them—smiled and giggled against each other's lips. It was nauseating. She would have bet her life that Mr. Kissy Mouth hadn't brought home a stripper or a whore in a leather jacket, reeking like a cheap nurse. Nope. Jackie looked away again. Mrs. Kissy Mouth had no idea. Most likely, lewd images of Mr Kissy Mouth had not haunted her to sleep for two years.

Jackie scowled at herself, remembering the things she had let her mind manifest in the throws of pain.

Utter disgust. That was all.

"Jackie."

"Hm?" Irritably, she looked to her left at Donna, unable to avoid dropping her eyes on Hyde and his strawberry-blond companion along the way. They were the anti-Mr.-and-Mrs.-Kissy-Mouth, sitting there in silence, miles away from each other.

Donna pointed at the waitress who stood, waiting. "What are you getting?" she asked her. "It's time to order."

"Oh," Jackie thought it over. "Nothing. I'm not hungry." A few nervous rubs of her thighs and she stood up, practically ignored except for the blue eyes that looked up. Jackie swatted Donna's shoulder. "I'll be back."

"Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom," she whispered smartly and strutted away, sneering at Mr. Kissy Mouth along the way. Whatever made her stick her tongue out at him hatefully retreated quickly, though, because when Mrs. Kissy Mouth turned her head, Jackie began to run…

* * *

A Couple of Minutes Later…

Hyde leaned into Jessica's ear. "Hey. I'll be right back." She simply nodded in acknowledgment, her attention and gaze still in conversation with Amy.

Sparing not another second, Hyde stood up and left the table, taking notice of a couple as he passed the bar, cooing and kissing like a pair of morons in love. Disgust surged through him and settled in his face, where he did little to veil the emotion. People made him sick sometimes. Why the hell did they think others wanted to see that crap?

"What are you looking at?" he lashed out when Mr. Kissy Mouth noticed him scrutinizing, and kept walking.

As he reached a doorway, he pinched the flesh between his eyes. He was exhausted, and the thought of getting into bed sweetened his soured expression when he turned the corner and ran right into Jackie in the dark.

They made eye contact, but Hyde swiftly grew uncomfortable and moved his gaze down to the right. The fact that she was back here came of no surprise. In fact, part of him had hoped this would happen.

A step away, Jackie stared squarely at Hyde with no discomfort whatsoever. She was prepared for his cruelty. It wasn't a question of _if_ to her; it was _when_,_how_, would he dish it out tonight. He wouldn't even look at her, however his lips, usually parted and inviting, tightened suddenly and she stopped breathing, her heart bracing itself for the hit as pride rose to fight.

"Go ahead, Steven," she rumbled hunting his eyes down with her own.

Surprised by her aggressive, low tone, Hyde looked at her like she wanted. "Go ahead' _what?_"

"Say what you're gonna say," she baited. "Call me a whore or a skank or whatever, and just get it over with." Jackie posed mightily: hands on hips, chest out. "Well… I'm waiting." Her voice, however, did not match her body's fearless stance; it was shaking like a dry leaf in the wind.

Indignant with her attitude, Hyde frowned. "Yeah, well don't hold your breath, princess. I'm over it."

"Oh," Jackie huffed, the area around her mouth beginning to fidget noticeably. "Of course! You, Steven Hyde, don't care… What a shocker!" Her jaw tensed. "You know, that's exactly why I did what I did."

"What are you talking about?" Hyde sneered, his words laden with disdain. He watched her carefully. She displayed all of her typical cues of anger: the head shaking slowly from side to side, the narrowed, fire-breathing eyes, the taut lips.

She had some nerve.

"You ran straight to Jessica," Jackie accused bitterly. "The second something went wrong… I knew you would. You probably screwed her that first night, too, huh?"

Out of basic confusion, Hyde scowled. She was pissed. SHE was pissed. Her chin was quivering, and, for a moment, he felt guilt begin to nip at him and wondered if he had screw things up again. But he shook his head. "No," he pointed, his confidence growing with each passing second. "No, no. Don't turn this around on me… You messed this up this time. Not me. You can't be mad about that."

"Oh, I can be mad about whatever the hell I want," Jackie snapped, her voice rising. "I'm a girl! That's my right!"

"You're crazy, you know that?" Hyde sneered.

"And you're over it, right, Steven? So what does it matter?"

His eyebrows furrowing in thought, Hyde tilted his head at her. For the first time in their entire relationship, he had come at her without blinding anger, he had considered her feelings, and his mind was clearer than it had ever been. "You _want_ me to be jerk to you," he decided curiously.

"_What?"_Jackie spat

Hyde nodded, his gaze filling up with the excitement of epiphany. "Yeah. You _want_ me to treat you like crap…so you can blame me for this whole mess and feel better about what you did."

"What? No!" she refuted outright. "That's ridiculous."

Hyde's jaw tightened. "Yeah, well, you can forget it," he grumbled in her face. "This one's all yours, baby; just like the last one."

"The last one?"

"Yeah…You always seem to forget who screwed up in a motel room first."

"Yeah!" Jackie mocked angrily. "_You!_"

"What?" Hyde glowered, but then it hit him: the nurse. Damn it. "Whatever!" he pointed. "You know what I mean. Let's not sit here and pretend you're little Miss Innocent."

Jackie scoffed. "Don't you dare compare the things you did to what I did, Steven Hyde."

"Well, I'm not taking the fall for you this time, sweetheart," Hyde averred stubbornly as stepped around her, shoving his way into the men's restroom. "You blew it."

Rendered immobile, Jackie took another breath, realizing as emotion stung her jaw that she was heaving ardently, and on the verge of tears. She looked up to keep one from spilling out. God, she missed him…

* * *

Ten Minutes Later…

Showing Brooke two tiny clenched fists, Jackie growled deep in her throat. "He's such a jerk!" Her body was overflowing with angry vigor and she began to pace the small lobby. "I knew he was gonna say he didn't care. You know," Jackie turned and stopped, her finger pointed at Donna. "He hasn't changed one bit. He's the same old shit face he always was!"

Donna raised her eyebrows, her expression bordering on apathetic. "So what did Hyde do now?"

"Oh," Jackie laughed mockingly. "He…" She hesitated. "…is pretty much…Well…He's saying this whole stupid mess is _my_ fault!"

"What is?" Brooke asked with little enthusiasm.

Jackie squinted to think and opened her mouth halfway through a change of thought. "I don't exactly know."

"Mmm," Brooke nodded. "So wait, what did he do?"

"He said he_refuses_ to be a jerk to me," Jackie huffed, her eyebrows curving scornfully. "_What_ an asshole!" She narrowed her eyes. "Oh, he is _so_ doing this out of spite."

Donna and Brooke looked at each other. "Wait," Donna frowned. "You're mad at him because he won't be a jerk to you?"

Jackie pursed her lips. "Donna, are you even listening?" She turned to Brooke, "It's like I'm talking to a brick wall," and walked away without warning. "I'm going home!"

Donna flipped her palms up. "What did I say this time?"

The answer to that question came in the form of a shrug as both women confusedly watched their friend strut away with the arrogance of an aristocrat and the mind set of a lunatic, presumably one in love…

* * *

Forty Minutes Later

Hearing his name called, Hyde stood up from the table and dropped some money on the table. "Well I guess we're gonna get out of here." He looked right and noted Jessica's worn face before turning to his friends. "I'll see you dipshits at the wedding."

A tipsy on Mai Tais Eric pointed at him. "Don't forget about Thanksgiving, man."

"Oh, yeah." Hyde smirked. "Laurie's home. Should be a hoot."

"We'll be ready for her."

Nodding, Hyde turned and caught up with Jessica, grabbing her hand as they walked out.

"You wanna come over?" he heard himself ask.

"No," Jessica responded matter-of-factly. "But _you_ can come over if you want to…I guess."

Tucking his lips into his mouth, Hyde nodded. "Yeah, ok…"

* * *

A Couple of Hours Later

Jackie's Apartment

7:04 p.m.

If there was one thing she excelled at, Jackie was realizing, it was sneaking around. Covertly, she peeked out her bedroom door at the back of Colin's head, pleased with the deep echelon of his laughter as he sat on the couch. It was seven o'clock, and his favorite show, Three's Company, was on. It was very convenient; that was all.

Cringing in worry, she closed the door carefully and waited, listening for his footsteps, but she only heard genuine chuckles of amusement. Satisfied that she cleared for a go, Jackie skulked quickly over to her closet and reached for the doorknob…

…_Early October, 1979…_

_Face to face with the Forman basement door, Jackie topped her lungs with the crisp fall air and turned the knob. Ever since the new, and rather trampy, addition to the group, it was like stepping into enemy territory. This place had changed, and she wasn't welcome. She knew it, could feel it. It was impossible to ignore the resentment and hate that loitered heavily in the air here. Even the stale aroma of weed seemed hostile toward her, but this expedition into the devil's den today wasn't for her; it was for someone else, someone special. _

_Watchfully, Jackie stepped inside; she was told no one would be home. It was ideal, to be sure, but, unfortunately, the inside tip had been wrong. To her disappointment, Hyde sat watching TV from the couch._

_He looked over. "What do __**you**__ want?"_

_Masking all sentiment, Jackie raised a finger toward the back of the basement. "I left something in your room; I need to get it."_

"_Yeah, well I threw all your crap out." He shifted in his seat and returned his head forward, acting like she was no more than a fly in the room, bothering him. "And what I didn't throw out, Sam did."_

"_It was hidden," she added bitterly, wondering if he would figure it out._

_Contemptibly, Hyde looked back over. "Well what is it?"_

"_It's none of your business."_

"_It's in __**my**__ room." When it became clear that neither was going to yield to the other, Hyde crossed his arms over his chest and moved his eyes back to the television. "Whatever. Just make it fast. I have things to do."_

_Jackie turned on her heel, but stopped cold, wearing a sneer of repugnance and harboring a single revolting thought. "There's not, like, mucky stripper sex things everywhere; is there?"_

"_Might be."_

_Jackie's eyes thinned into razor-sharp slits. "You're a pig," she muttered as a chill stung her chest and back, but she shook it off and managed to throw him one more dirty look before storming toward the back room, a place she hadn't been nearly six weeks. The dread of what it held had been churning in her gut all day, so when she got inside, she stopped to look around and take an inventory. Sacrilegious _

_The air was thick with the scent of cheap perfume, somewhat akin to Donna's house the day after 'Girl's night'. Same bed, same linens, same everything, Jackie noticed, minus her own pictures and the fact that everything now had the whore's mark on it. His dresser, the one she had given him, had a bevy of gaudy make-up products on it, and in the corner, on a chair she had also given him, sat a folded pile of tasteless stripper costumes that threatened to purge the chicken sandwich she had had for lunch. Another chill arrived, carrying with it a thought. Sam probably wore them for him, and that pig probably liked it, too, probably went on about how his prudish ex-girlfriend would never wear outfits like that for him. Jackie blinked a tear away; she had refused, only agreeing to wear things she thought classy women wore. Who knew that wasn't what he wanted. _

"_Hurry up!"_

"_I'm looking! You mutt," she mumbled and pinched her face up in disgust. Just get in and get out, she told herself, before she could start to cry and give him more ammunition. Getting down on her knees, Jackie looked under the bed and reached up, feeling her way around the wooden slats. "It better be here." Relief struck her when she felt the soft material of her cheerleading skirt and continued feeling for the top. When she found it, she smiled and pulled it out, shaking off the dust. _

_Hugging the green and white uniform to her chest, Jackie stood up and looked around. Briefly, she wondered what he had really thrown away her things, her pictures and their game of chess, long since left unfinished. She worried that maybe Sam finished it with him and then brushed the thought aside; that trash couldn't finish a bottle of penicillin if she tried. _

_Jackie brought the uniform to her nose. It still smelled like detergent. She had always kept it ready for him, for when he was in a playful mood, but now she only felt foolish. Seeing Sam's elaborate, albeit tacky, sex attire, her own seemed childish and dull in comparison. _

"_You almost done?!"_

"_Yes!" Jackie shouted out angrily and ran over to his milk crate full of records. Keeping an eye on the door, she grabbed Led Zeppelin III, stuffed it into the rear of her pants behind her jacket, and inelegantly walked out. _

_With well-placed suspicion, Hyde watched her every clumsy move toward the door. "What are you up to? What'd you take?"_

"_The only sanitary thing in that disgusting room," she scoffed. _

"_What?"_

_Jackie held out her Point Place Vikings uniform, spurring him to sit back in his seat upon the sight of it. "I didn't want your whore mistaking it for one of her slut uniforms."_

_She was surprised to see his expression soften. "Oh." Hyde looked back at the television, appearing disconcerted. "Yeah, I didn't throw that out."_

_After studying his profile briefly—trying to find the man she once knew—Jackie chose not to respond and walked out, taking the stairs as fast as she ever had. He wasn't there, but at least her uniform was safe. Steven, wherever he was, would have practically cried if she had let anything happen to it. He loved it, and so she loved it, too. _

_Smiling, Jackie hugged it to her chest and pranced down the driveway. She had rescued it for him because it was theirs; it was a secret they kept together. It was the last good memory to be salvaged as everything around her crumbled and went to hell. It was big smiles, belly laughs, wild kisses, and bear hugs; it was everything that a beaten girl would need to one day remember…_

Smiling dreamily, Jackie traced the 'P' on her old cheerleading top and wriggled down onto her belly, bringing her head to rest on the carpet. The mildly faded green and white fabric smelled of cardboard box and regret. Why hadn't she shown it to him and asked? She wanted to know, had _always_ wanted to know, why he had not thrown it out—why, through all of his anger, he had saved this one little thing.

Feeling lethargic, Jackie bunched the material under her head and closed her eyes. Fantasies of Hyde pining for her began to trickle into her mind—him crying into her uniform, him writing a dramatic letter, professing his abiding love as the woeful voice of a heartbroken country singer echoed softly in the background. She couldn't help but giggle and sigh, though, as she snuggled into her absurd reverie. If only.

"Hey."

_Shit!_ Panicked, Jackie opened her eyes. "Oh… Hey!" She sat up.

Colin stepped further into the room. "What are you doing," he asked, peering into the box she had obviously pulled from the closet. He had never seen it before.

"Oh," Jackie started tossing everything back in: pictures, a faded t-shirt, her uniform, a stack of ticket stubs… a ball of tinfoil.

"What is all that?" He reached in and picked up the cheer skirt, holding it in front himself before taking a seat on the bed. "Is this yours?"

Jackie kicked the box into the closet and shut the door. "Um, yeah." She ambled over, grateful for his one-track male mind. "That's my cheerleading uniform," she smiled proudly and sat down beside him. "I told you I was a cheerleader."

He grinned, admiring the tiny skirt. "A pretty fuckin' sexy cheerleader, I'll bet."

"Yeah," Jackie agreed wholeheartedly, nodding her head. "I was _definitely_ the cutest one. I won an award and everything."

Colin looked at every feature on her face and gave her a slight, but undoubtedly amorous, smile. "Put it on." Jackie smiled back as his face took on a lascivious grin. "Please," he added for good measure.

Jackie laughed and shook her head. "No, no, no."

Colin feigned anger. "Oh, come on. I'll take it right off," he pledged and leaned in to kiss her neck, but Jackie swatted him away, gasping playfully.

"You _cannot_ taint my cheerleading uniform with sex!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's pure," she explained in a haughty tone and pilfered the skirt from him. "And I want it to stay that way."

Losing interest in the skirt quickly, Colin stole it back and tossed it to the floor, leaving Jackie grateful as he coaxed her to her back and lay above her. He forgotten about the sweatshirt already, forgotten about the box, and she was realizing that it was time she did the same. No more taking it out, she swore to herself the moment her fiancé sealed his mouth over hers and kissed her deeply. All that box ever did, in all its time, was confuse and sadden her, and after five years, the things inside had gotten her no nearer to closure than she had been the day Mrs. Forman opened that front door and let in the demons. That box, Jackie knew as she hugged Colin tightly, was full of only ghosts;_ this_ was real…

* * *

**Tuesday**

**November 27, 1984**

**1:30 in the afternoon**

**Westinghouse Family Planning Clinic**

Together, as planned, Kelso, Brooke and a pale Christie all walked inside the clinic they had been in the week before, quietly, nervously. Kelso sat down as the two girls walked up to the counter.

It was surreal, Brooke noticed when Christie requested the results of her son's paternity test. She wasn't sure what she wanted the outcome to be. There was something special about being the mother of his children, the only one; it made her incomparable to any other. Another part of her, though, felt for Christie, who seemed after nothing more than her child's happiness, his future.Brooke had to smile at the thought of him. He was a cute little boy; he and Bradley were getting along famously, relishing together in torturing poor Betsy.

The nurse behind the counter walked back over with a chart in her hands. "The results are 0.014 percent that Mr. Kelso is the father."

Her face saddening, Christie looked lost. "Wait, but what's that mean?"

"It means he's not," the nurse explained. "He's not the father." As the woman walked away, Christie fell silently into desolation, not saying a word and not bothering to wipe away the two tears that dropped down her cheeks.

Brooke looked back at Kelso, who was not celebrating either. She realized instantly that part of her was glad he wasn't. Did that make her a monster, she wondered. "Christie…"

"I'm really sorry," Christie cried. "I almost broke up your wedding for nothing. I'm so sorry I put you all through this." With that, she ran out. Hesitating only a moment, Brooke followed her out the door and felt Kelso meet up next to her.

"What do we do?" he asked her.

"I don't know. Where'd she go?"

Kelso shook his head as they both scanned the crowded parking lot…

* * *

Two Hours Later...

Kenosha Medical Center

3:47 p.m.

Walking through the lobby of the hospital he'd avoided for the past few days, Hyde thought back to the night that had gotten his friend to this place in his life. Four heart attacks, three broken ribs, a broken wrist, a gash the size the Grand Canyon above his right temple, cuts and bruises; all that and Hyde couldn't remember a single complaint about it from the man. No griping or bitching or moaning or going on about how unfair and shitty the world was. Only concerns of his son had ever embittered his tattered face.

Hyde reached the main hallway and just told himself to be grateful that it all turned out alright for Leo. He wasn't ready to let go of the old man just yet.

As he continued walking, he noticed a familiar face and stopped. "Kelso," he called out and met up with his friend in the middle of the hallway. "What are you doing here?"

"Man…" Kelso looked beaten. "She wasn't lying, Hyde. She's really, actually sick. Like, for real."

"Who?"

"Christie." Taking a step back to walk away, obviously unsettled, Kelso shook his head. "I've gotta go, man…I'll talk to you later."

Hyde watched his friend go in the other direction, taking notice of the mope in his step. This was some fucked up shit. Maybe he had been right. They were all cursed. Turning away, he continued toward his destination, quickly finding the elevators to Leo's floor. Back at his apartment, the second bedroom was furnished with a bed and a small dresser that the Foremans had kept from his old room, some sheets and blankets included. Jessica had even agreed to start coming back over to his place a few times a week to check on Leo when he was at his new Grooves location that W.B. had set up for him.

He smiled feebly at the nurse as he passed by the nurse's station and turned into Leo's room. "Hey, man."

Leo looked up from his bed. He was just sitting there, reading his Mad Libs, looking so much better, frail but alive. "Hyde!"

"Man, you look good," Hyde greeted him.

"I do, huh."

Stepping up to his friend, Hyde grinned and nodded. "Well hey. The doc cleared you to go home…I uh, I'm gonna let you stay with me, okay? I've got a room a set up for you and everything… It's just gonna be you and me, man." Hyde smiled.

"Oh, no. I have to wait here," Leo said, growing excited. "David's gonna come pick me up, man. I'm gonna stay with him."

Hyde frowned. "David?"

"Yeah, my son…He'll probably be here any minute."

"Yeah, Leo…" Hyde shifted his weight uneasily. "Look, man… I've been meaning to talk to you about that… I saw David."

"Yeah, I know." Leo, becoming distracted by his Mad Libs, sat back against the headboard. "He's a good-lookin' kid, huh?"

"Yeah, Leo, but he wasn't really…"

"_Hyde, right?"_

Startled, Hyde turned around and froze briefly at the sight of the man he had met in Green Bay, two weeks before. "Um…Yeah. Yeah, it's Hyde. What's up, man?" he asked, shaking David's hand.

"I, um…" David gestured Hyde to walk with him out of the room. "I thought about what you said…Well, that, and my girlfriend wouldn't stop nagging me," he laughed when they both stepped out into the hall. "…and I decided to…come see him, like you asked."

"Oh." Hyde glanced over at Leo; he hadn't been delusional after all. "That's…That's _great_, man…Thanks."

"Yeah, we've been hanging out." David smirked over at his dad. "He's a pretty cool guy, actually. Not all there all the time, but…"

Nodding, Hyde laughed. "Yeah, Leo's um… special. He's a really great guy, though."

David returned the action as a woman walked up and smiled. "Yeah. You know, I figured if my mom wanted me to get to know him, then maybe he wasn't so bad. I don't know…Oh, this is Sarah…My girlfriend."

Sarah smiled at Hyde. "Hi."

"Oh, hi." Hyde shook her hand. "So, he's, um, gonna stay with you guys?"

"Yeah. We're gonna try it out." David shrugged. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

"That's..." Hyde shook his head. "That's _really_ great." He looked over at Leo, who waited anxiously at the edge of his bed, and smiled. "He looks really happy, man." David and his girlfriend smiled, too, and put their arms around each other, and Hyde realized something, sending his features into thoughtful peace. "Do you guys mind if I talk to him for a minute before you go."

"Oh, yeah. Go ahead. We'll be out here."

Hyde nodded and waited for them to stroll off before walking back into Leo's room. "Hey, man."

"Did they tell you about my room?" Leo asked elatedly. "I'm gonna have my own bed and a color TV."

"Oh yeah?" Hyde smiled. "That's great, man. Now you won't have to get mad when you can't tell which Care Bear is which."

"Yeah." Leo looked up at Hyde and smiled. "My son's not mad at me anymore, Hyde. It's so cool, man. We're gonna be a family again. It's like God dropped your roof on my head for a reason. It's unreal." He looked down thoughtfully. "It was like fate, you know?" Leo shook his head. "Fate…It's far out, man."

"Yep." Hyde smiled and also looked down, finding himself happy for Leo, but a little bummed, too, that his friend would be moving so far away. He had been looking forward to having him as a roommate. It sucked living alone. "Hey, if, um, you need anything, you know where I am. Okay?"

"Oh, I always remember where _you_ are, man." Slowly, Leo stood up and grabbed a small plastic bag from the bed. "You're my family."

Hyde nodded. "That's right," he agreed and put his arm around Leo. "Come on. Let's get the hell out of this place. It reeks."

"Yeah, but the nurses are va-va-voom! Oh, hey," He stopped walking and looked around guardedly. "…if a lady in white ever asks you if you want a sponge bath, say yes, man."

Hyde grinned. "I'll remember to do that, Leo. Come on…"

* * *

That Night

Jackie's Apartment

10:35 p.m.

Her hands flat against the cold glass of her window, Jackie looked up at the dark night sky. It was so clear out tonight. Not a drop of rain. The temperature had frozen it all in its resting place, stopping it where it flowed, like a fountain in pause, and now every star in Wisconsin sparkled like crystal. He was out there somewhere, with someone else. But Jackie knew she had no right to be angry. She had been given all the knowledge there was to know, granted all the words, blessed with all the chances; even his heart had been laid out like blanket for her, but like the water outside, she was frozen.

"Hi, baby." Strong hands slid around to her belly and Colin's arms closed around her.

Jackie closed her eyes. "Hi." She felt his soft lips on her neck, felt the heat of his breath, and smiled.

"Come to bed with me." His voice was so sexy. Opening her eyes, Jackie looked over the icy parking lot, and hugged his arms.

"Colin?"

He kissed her bare shoulder. "Hm."

"Do you believe in love at first sight?"

"I don't know." His attention lacking, Colin continued to direct most of his attention to her neck and shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Jackie stared outside. "Did you know, when you first saw me, that you could love me?"

"Yes."

Jackie smiled, closing her eyes again as he pinched his arms tighter around her, hugging her like a glove. "You're such a liar," she giggled.

"Maybe," he confessed smoothly, giving her another kiss.

Turning her eyes back to the night sky, Jackie silently cursed the entire universe. This was beautiful. It should have been magical, the way this man loved her. And it was, but at all times, and with every moment like this, memories of another man, like warm water, flowed through her like a stream, washing her further and further away, melting her into him. But where they were taking her, she had no idea. She just wished they would go away already and leave her be…

* * *

Out There Somewhere …

Jessica struck a match and out burst flame, lighting up her dark living room with a hiss. On her tiny fireplace mantle, she lit three amber colored candles and one orange. They were scented like the fall and warmed the otherwise cold looking room with a seasoned glow. There was not much here to warm anymore, though, and she knew it.

Turning her eyes to the mirror that hung above the fireplace, Jessica stared at her candlelit reflection, asking herself how far she was willing to go for him, wondering when she had become this girl. Over her left shoulder, his reflection was somber. He was slouched on her couch, his head down, and she wondered what he was thinking about, but she knew he would never tell her. It just wasn't his way.

Jessica turned around, taking a slow look out her window as she passed it. Everything was frozen and the chill was reaching inside to them, to him. She looked on her couch as she rounded it. He seemed just as frozen.

Stepping in front of Hyde, Jessica placed her hands on his knees and knelt, making him finally look up.

She studied him a while before speaking. "What are we gonna do?"

He stared at her, frowning jadedly. "I don't know."

Jessica took her gaze away. It hurt so much right now, her heart. In fact, he was making her whole body ache now instead of smile, the way it used to. Frustrated, she closed her eyes and rolled her neck back, stopping when she felt his arms wrap around her and pull her in. They were different, and when he placed his lips at the base of her neck, she realized _they_ felt different, too. Tainted. Used. She just couldn't stop imagining them on someone else, but she hugged him back anyway. She wouldn't let him go; the alternative proved much worse, or so her new friend reminded her…

* * *

**The Next Day**

**Wednesday**

**November 28, 1984**

**5:21 p.m.**

Little rattled him, especially after the things he had seen in his life, but Colin stood today, perfectly still, in the middle of his fiancé's kitchen, his insides ablaze.

He heard the front door open and looked up.

"Hey," Jackie greeted him with a smile, watching him as Colin slowly made his way toward her. He gave no response, only studied her as he closed in. He'd only looked away for a moment, hadn't he? Three weeks. But she had changed. She was a butterfly, reverted to moth. And now maybe he knew why.

Colin raised his hand. "What's this?" he asked her in a low, gritty tone.

He watched her look at the manila envelope and swallow. It was recognized immediately. He remained impervious, though, as she dropped her purse to the floor and her keys on the small table nearby, acting as if this were just any other day.

"What is this?" he repeated.

"I don't know," Jackie snapped. "What is it?"

"Pictures," Colin replied, conscious of her lie. Never disconnecting his belligerent gaze from her, he stuck his hand inside the envelope and pulled out a stack of Polaroid pictures. "Time-stamp says they were taken two weeks ago… What the fuck are they?"

"Oh…" Jackie's expression changed. "Those."

"Yeah, _these_," he repeated with scorn. "What the fuck are they, Jackie?" The room grew silent, including Jackie. Excuses and explanations, all the words she had been practicing, fled from her brain like cowards. Only the sound of the muscles in her neck flexing into a swallow, making her ears crackle, remained as confession waited in her lungs; it was rumbling deep in her chest, craving release. "Answer me!" he demanded, growing more irritated with her nervous silence. Colin threw the first picture to the floor. "Alright!" He sifted through a few more and pulled one out to show her. "You see this? This is Chicago. You know how I know? The tiny Sears Tower in the distance," he grumbled. "You know what else I see?"

"You went through my things," Jackie complained meekly.

"_You_…" he continued, ignoring her attempt at distraction, "…and _Hyde_. Should I keep going?"

Her mouth turned down in distress. "I was gonna tell you. I swear."

Colin shut his eyes. "Tell me _what?_" He opened them, trying with all his power to stay level-headed. There had to be a good explanation. He took a deep breath. "Why is he in these pictures, Jackie? You spent the night in Chicago, you told me."

"I…" Jackie drew in a breath, too, causing the taste of rotted guilt to coat the inside of her mouth and throat. She felt like a lying child. "Yes, I did, but…Look…Let's just _sit_ down and I'll explain."

"I don't want to sit down, Jackie. I want _you_ to start fucking talking."

"Fine," she whispered, trying to collect her wits. "You…You're always telling me," She gulped involuntarily. Fuck, her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. "…to take someone with me to those conventions and you weren't here and Kevin…"

"So you took_ Hyde_?" he snapped.

Jackie looked down. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Because there was no one else and…I saw him at the hospital when Leo got hurt," she spilled out easily in her impromptu performance, using the truth to form a platonic story, but the lie was stabbing at her like a knife. "On the way home his van broke down. It got a flat in the middle of this really bad neighborhood and… there were these guys and we ended up finding this…_bar,"_ she cringed. God, that sounded bad." …with these really nice people and there was a motel and we stayed there…"

He wasn't listening anymore, though, she noticed; he was watching her. His expression was revealing the concern that was growing along with hers, building as the saline pooled above her lower lids.

"What'd you do, Jackie?" He asked it so quietly, shaking his head. "Just…Just tell me you didn't do anything." He waited, his shoulders falling at the guilt that washed over what he could swear was the most beautiful he had ever seen. "Baby?" left his lips as ragged breath.

"I'm sorry," she cried softly. "I was drunk and…there's just all this stuff betwe…"

Colin glowered at her. "_What_ did you do?" As he watched her, it became real. Her eyes told him everything, the tiny motion of her head, her tears, her quivering mouth. "Just tell me you didn't fuck him, Jackie." She didn't answer. "Say something!"

"I slept with him."

Colin shut his eyes, and felt his heart sink and splinter.

"Colin…"

He opened his eyes. "Don't say another _fucking_ word to me."

"Listen to me," she pleaded as he tried to stagger to the door. "I was drunk…I wasn't thinking. Donna was sick and so I went in Michael and Brooke's room and he was there and I don't…"

"I don't want to hear this shit!" he yelled, and then scowled, backtracking through what she said. "Wait…What the hell are you talking about? Donna and Kelso and Brooke."

Jackie stepped back. "On…On…Halloween."

"_Halloween?"_he growled.

"Yeah," she whimpered and covered her mouth, starting to cry at her misstep. "That's when it started."

Colin stepped forward. "That's when _what_ started?"

Finally allowing herself to accept her fate, Jackie closed her eyes and sucked in all the oxygen between them. "Our affair," she gasped out and began to sob.

At that, Colin looked at her as if she had just been doused with kerosene and set ablaze. All the words he wanted to say froze in his mouth and he walked over dazedly to the couch to sit down.

Jackie took a step toward him. "I'm so sorry, baby."

Colin stared at the floor. "How many times?"

Jackie shook her head. "It doesn't matter."

"HOW MANY_ FUCKING_ TIMES!"

Jumping at the sound, Jackie started to cry harder. She made an attempt to shake her head, but failed in her fatigue. "I don't even know."

And it was there, those words, that made his breath stop. As if every muscle in his body had abandoned him, Colin lowered his head into his hands, shutting his eyes as he inhaled the sour air of her apartment. It was shock, and hate, seeping in. "Fuck," he mouthed in near silence. He couldn't even remember the last time his body wanted to cry. As a child, maybe, and even then, it took a lot. But it wanted to now.

"Colin…It was a mistake. I was gonna tell you. I swear… Please, I love you. Don't…"

Her voice, as she continued making excuses, was grating at his brain, agitating his entire body and bringing him to his feet. _"_Just…_ shut_ the fuck up, Jackie!"

Jackie stepped back at the look in his eyes. All the usual love and adoration was absent from his eyes. "Colin," she eased out gingerly. "Just listen to me." Her eyes were set hard on him. "Just know, before you leave, that I chose _you._" A slight grimace brought life back to his face, prompting her to explain. "He asked me to leave you, and I tried, but I couldn't do it." The second it left her lips, she regretted it.

Colin's face fell, his mind transcending into a whole new breed of anger. "_What?"_he growled

Realizing her mistake, Jackie's eyes widened. "I…" But she was done for. Everything, every second of guilt, every moment of clarity when his face would come into thought, sometimes in the arms of Hyde, they were all here with her now. It was the pinnacle of a month's worth of stress, converging as she breached the event horizon and watched his anger bloom. She had made the fall for Hyde and, for Colin, she had hit the ground at a thousand miles per hour. And now, there was nothing left to do but shatter. "_I'm sorry_," she sobbed to him. "God! I am _so_ sorry… I'm so sorry, Colin… Please…"

Jackie rushed to him and slammed her forehead into his chest. "Please don't hate me. Just…I'll do anything you want. Just _please_ don't hate me. Please," she whispered and raised her head, her eyes pleading.

Colin simply looked at her, quiet for so long that she thought he may never speak to her again, but he parted his lips, uttering quietly, "Just answer me one thing, Jackie." She swallowed, listening. "Did you 'choose' me before or after I gave you that ring?"

Jackie let her eyes close and reopened them. She could lie, but his eyes were demanding the truth, and her mouth was just expelling it freely like vomit.

"I…When you proposed, I…I…" She stopped and gave up, having no idea what to say. "I made a mistake. Okay? I ma…"

"Yeah…" he agreed regretfully. "You made a _big_ fuckin' mistake, Jackie." Slowly, as she stared into his calmly disillusioned eyes, Jackie lowered her hands, aware of the cold wave that had already washed over him. All he had left for her, at the moment, was a nearly expressionless stare, laced with the slightest glimmer of contempt. "I quit my job for you," he said gently. "I loved that job." He shook his head and scoffed, letting the injustice of it all soak in. "I spent my entire savings on a fucking engagement ring and the whole time… _Hyde_ had his dick in you." Jackie's face contorted in pain, readying to cry. Men, there was something about the way they served their spite, so cold, and with the barest of words. Women screamed; they spilled over with heated emotion, but men knew how to shut it off. It was so unfair. "And _you're_ crying," were the last words he uttered.

It was abrupt, the way he stepped around her and left. A blink and the man she was going to marry was gone, and Jackie fell against her front door in tears. There was a rumbling in her ears—a muffled whirl, amplifying her own sobs. She had to call Brooke. She needed someone who loved her.

Jackie blew out a raucous sigh and sucked in all the air she could before making her way over to the couch. She sat down and dialed, growing angry as it rang and rang, making her only cry harder. "Pick up, damn it!"

She slammed the phone down and quickly picked it back up again, dialing both Kevin and then Fez and getting no answer. "Damn it." Finally, she decided to try Donna, but with no luck either.

Craving warmth, Jackie retreated to her bedroom, not bothering to turn on the lights, and crawled beneath the covers. After some hesitation and a lot of tears, she grabbed the phone once more and dialed.

"_Hello?"_

The warm, deep tone of his voice made Jackie feel so much better and she closed her eyes, exhaling in relief.

"Hello?" Hyde frowned, able to hear soft breathing. It came through the line sounding sweet and delicate, like a woman's whisper, barely there. He was sure of its source and cupped his hand over the phone. "Jackie?"

He heard a click.

"Who is it," Jessica asked, grabbing his attention as she sat down on the couch.

Hyde cleared his throat as he hung up. "Oh, wrong number."

Picking up the remote, he changed the channel on the TV a few times, pondering as Jessica snuggled in next to him. His life, it was slowly settling back into place. A cold night, this warm girl and a second chance; it was a gift, now being chased down by the sound of breath ringing like an alarm, deep in his ear…

To Be Continued…

* * *

A/N2: Three more chapters and an epilogue left! Countdown! So did this chapter suck really bad or something, 'cause it seems most of my reviewers have ditched me. :( I tried my best. 


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30: He Could Fight **

**A/N:** Thank you for the reviews!! Two more left! Yay!

**Rated M for Mature for graphic sex and language.**

* * *

_xxxxx _

_With the amazed eyes of a child, Jackie blinked and stepped forward. She had finally found the twilight garden; it was beneath a wide open, blueberry-colored sky, precisely as she had been told. The air here felt dated, though, faded into misty gray. But it flickered and shined like an old movie while lush, green trees, and the stars above, twinkled like a storybook play. _

_As had been promised, the garden gave Jackie that feeling of peace that she had been searching for. She was home._

"_You ready?"_

_Jackie turned her head toward Hyde's voice and smiled, drinking him in as she stepped slowly toward her daddy's Lincoln. _

_Hyde hopped off the hood. He looked so young, she noticed. And it occurred to her. He WAS young, a teenager of no more than seventeen, while she was a matured twenty-four. Nonetheless, she was intensely attracted._

_Guardedly, Jackie looked around them. No one was here. It was just the two of them. No one would have to know. _

"_Okay," she responded to the expectant glimmer in his eyes, taking the last few steps to reach him. "I'll kiss you… But you can't tell anyone." _

"_I won't tell anyone," the young Hyde obliged and reached out to draw her toward him, causing a gentle grunt to escape her lungs at the collision. Jackie had to smile. He was young, but he was strong. And when she felt his chest swell against hers, she closed her eyes and waited for her heart to soar. And just as she puckered, he kissed her, at first softly, but then his passion flared and sent him deep inside her mouth. _

_Dutiful to Colin's mission, Jackie noted every movement of Hyde's lips, measured each pucker, tested the sweetness beneath his tongue, and analyzed the way he used the slick muscle to feel his way around hers, to connect. There was nothing more special than the bond of a kiss. It was the way to truly know someone. It was the most intimate gesture in the world, someone letting you into their mouth, and their technique said so much. Colin explained it all._

"_God," Jackie exhaled as he pulled away. She opened her eyes, immediately recognizing the cozy confines of his basement bedroom. "Oh…" Her chest was inflamed with tingles. "Wow."_

_Hyde frowned with concern. "How was that? Was that better?"_

"_You…" Still recovering from her delirium, Jackie struggled to simply smile and sat down on his cot. "Oh, God… That was so… so good…but… you're…you're just way too young for me… We can't do this."_

"_Oh…" Hyde frowned. "Yeah… Okay." Obviously displeased with her response, he gave her a small, somber smile. "I guess I'll see ya then."_

_The next thing she saw was his back, moving away from her. The room he walked was suddenly bigger than she remembered, like a large warehouse, and he was getting so far away. "Wait," she yelled out. "Get back here. Where are you going?"_

_Hyde turned around, a pensive frown practically answering her question. "I don't know… But I can't really leave this place, so I guess not very far."_

"_Well, let me stay here with you." She knew she was way too old for him, but what the hell, twenty-four—seventeen… It could work!_

_But Hyde shook his head at her. "You can't." _

"_Why not?!"_

"_Because you don't belong here anymore, Jackie!" he snapped at her. "Now just go!"_

"_Yes, I do! I like it here… with you." Her eyes besought him. "Please, Steven. Let me stay." _

"_Go home, Jackie," he insisted with a more quieted force. "You can't stay here." _

"_But I didn't mean what I said before. I love the way you kiss. I felt something. I swear. I just…" Jackie started to panic as he continued to walk away, prompting her to try and follow, but her feet would not move. "Steven!" she screamed out. "I wanna stay here with you! I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it!" After a short struggle with the ground below her, Jackie looked to her right and saw a jewelry store. Maybe there was a car in there she could use. But people were all over and a curious crowd was starting to gather. "Ugh," she grumbled. "I hate the mall on Saturdays! Shoo," she yelled at them, empowering the embarrassment she felt for being stuck in quick sand in the middle of the God damn mall. "There's nothing to see here! Go away!" _

_With an dismal scowl on her face, Jackie got herself unstuck and walked around a while, searching for Steven Hyde, and shopping for Christmas presents, until Hyde's existence faded from the dream that soon became a nightmare about cheerleading camp, the horrors of which carried her straight into consciousness…_

**Thursday**

**November 29, 1984**

**Thanksgiving Day**

**2:57 p.m.**

Her entire body tensing, Jackie snapped open her eyes, startled at the sound of a sharp thunder crack. As it rumbled and growled away, her attention was drawn in the other direction.

BANG! BANG! BANG! _"Jackie!"_

Catapulting into a sitting position, Jackie looked over at her clock. "Oh, God." She flipped her covers back, instantly getting assaulted by the bitter morning cold.

"_Jackie!"_

Crap! It was Brooke.

"Hang on," Jackie grumbled blearily. Her beet red, and swollen, eyes did not want to stay open. They burned like hell. But somehow, she managed to make it over to her closet and grabbed her thick purple bath robe, slipping it on as she walked. She had completely forgotten about the holiday. Of course, the day's plans had been settled since about the tenth grade so it was easy to overlook. Go to the Formans. Go to the Formans. And she had no idea why, but the plans _never_ changed. Regardless of what life held, every fourth Thursday in November, it was to be lived out at the Forman Thanksgiving dinner. She could be near death, puking out a lung, and she was still expected at the kids table at five o'clock sharp. But this time, she wasn't going. There was no way in hell, Jackie decided as she tied her robe and opened the front door.

"What!"

Kelso, with a boy in each arm, grimaced at the sight of her. "Jeez, Jackie." He looked her up and down—she was a train wreck—and raised his eyebrows. "_Not_ aging like I thought you would."

"Shut_ up_, Michael. I just woke up." Looking like a rabid bulldog, Jackie turned around and lay down on her couch.

Brooke frowned curiously at her fiancé as the family of four, plus an additional toddler, stepped inside. "Um… Hello. Why didn't you get up? Why aren't you dressed?"

"Because I'm not going."

Kelso set the boys down. "Hey…" They took off running. "So where's Colin? I've got a few stink bombs I'm gonna let off in Eric's car… I wanna show him."

"Oh, God," Jackie started to cry, remembering the night before as she tucked her knees up to her chest. It was why she was so tired. She had tried all night to call him. She had cried her eyes raw.

Concerned, Betsy let go of her mother's hand and walked over to Jackie. Gently, she petted her head. "Why are you crying, Auntie Jackie?"

The sound of the little girl's voice hit Jackie's heart and she reached out. "Can I have a hug?" Betsy nodded and crawled onto the couch and into her Godmother's arms. Jackie squeezed her tight and smiled. "You look beautiful… And your dress is so pretty."

"Grandma gave it to me."

Brooke sat down. "Jackie… What's going on with you? Why aren't you ready?"

"Where's Colin," Kelso repeated, making a poor attempt at searching the apartment. "Colin!"

"Gone," Jackie uttered and squeezed her Goddaughter. She looked over at Brooke grimly. "He knows."

"Knows? Knows what?" A beat later, Brooke's eyes widened. "Oh, God, about…"

"About Steven," Jackie admitted shamefully. "He knows everything."

"Whoa." Kelso walked around the second couch and sat down. "Well this sucks… Now who am I gonna show off my stink bombs to? _Hyde?"_ He folded his arms. "Way to go, Jackie…"

* * *

Four Miles Away

Gino's Bar

A man of about forty-eight gingerly poured a half-empty bottle of Bacardi into another and screwed the pouring nozzle back on, dropping the empty bottle in the trash. The place was empty today, and for good reason. It was Thanksgiving. He did have one customer, though, one lonely soul who drank like it was New Year's Eve.

Colin tapped the bar sloppily. "Give me the black stuff."

"One more, and then you're done, fella."

Colin looked up crossly. "I can handle my beer. Thanks. In fact, pour two."

The man looked at him a moment. What the hell, he thought. It was a holiday. "Can I ask you something?"

"No."

He poured two glasses of Guinness for his only customer. "What are you doing here alone on Thanksgiving?"

"What are _you_ doing here alone on Thanksgiving?" Colin repeated in his orneriness.

"I need the cash," the bartender admitted.

Colin nodded, understanding. "I'm not from here," he explained, letting his full accent through. "I don't give a fuck about Thanksgiving." He handed his second glass to his new friend. "Cheers…"

* * *

Thirty Minutes Later

Her expression determined, Brooke held out two coke cans. "Put 'em on."

"Coke cans, Brooke?"

"You didn't have anything else, Jackie." She handed Jackie the cans and sat down on the bathroom sink. "You need to go shopping."

Grumbling to herself, Jackie stuck both ice cold Cokes on her eyes and scoffed. "Jessica's probably gonna be there, hanging all over Steven and looking perfect, and there I'll be: Puffy and alone." Feeling sorry for herself, Jackie began to dry sob. "God, I called Colin all night. You don't think…"

"No more crying," Brooke pointed and began digging through Jackie's make-up case. "As it is, I'm gonna have to make you look like a hooker just to hide your bobo eyes."

"Oh, God! I _am_ a hooker," Jackie cried.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "No, you're not." She reached over and took the cokes. "Here, lemme see."

"Is it better?"

Brooke grimaced. "Maybe we should have used Diet…"

* * *

Point Place, Wisconsin

3:45 p.m.

"_Steven, is this right?!"_

"Is what right," Hyde yelled absentmindedly from the couch and sneered at the TV, half lost in the Twilight Zone marathon that he'd been watching since noon. "What the hell? Don't go in there," he ordered the man in the TV. "Moron! Hey, Jess, did you ever have a doll that talked?!"

"_Steven! Just… Does this…" _From the kitchen, Jessica growled in frustration._ "Will you just get over here?!"_

"What? God, damn it. What the hell, Jessica?" He got up and walked into the kitchen, his lips turning up into a smile as Jessica held out a steaming, freshly baked pumpkin pie. Oven mittens covered her hands.

"Does this look right?" she asked, wincing.

"Yeah," Hyde assured her, his face displaying his amazement as he pointed. "You did that by yourself? The crust, too?" She nodded, and Hyde smiled, leaning over her creation to give her a kiss. "It's perfect..."

* * *

The Minivan

Somewhere between Milwaukee and Point Place

Sandwiched between two rowdy toddlers, Jackie sat, scowling. "Why can't we have Thanksgiving with just us? There's three of us, four," she corrected, thinking of the sick girl sleeping in Kelso and Brooke's spare bedroom. "And…" Jackie looked around her. "Kids… We've got plenty of those… We'll have a grown up table and a kid's one, and for freaking once, we'll be at the adult one."

Kelso looked in the rearview mirror. "We go so we don't have to cook."

"No," Brooke corrected. "We go because Mrs. Forman would be upset if we didn't."

"Oh, yeah, and that, too." Kelso nodded. "Plus, she makes those awesome little turkeys out of the napkins and mine from last year was destroyed in the explosion…" Upon Jackie's look, Kelso shook his head. "It's a long story. But I need a new one."

"Whatever," Jackie muttered and looked out the window, unable to remember the last Holiday she'd truly enjoyed. Christmas had been fun. They'd all gone ice skating together. She smiled, recalling that Colin couldn't skate but slid out on the ice with her nevertheless and lay beneath the stars with her. He'd kissed her there, too.

Jackie closed her eyes; she hadn't felt this down in a long time. She had to stop thinking about him or she would start crying. Her life was unraveling one thread at a time and nobody seemed to understand. Opening her eyes again, Jackie settled on watching the buildings go by. When they hit a red light, she noticed an elderly woman at the edge of a parking lot, selling flowers in the icy rain. It was then that it struck her. "Oh, my God… Michael, pull over!"

"What? Why?"

"I need to get flowers," Jackie said, pointing at the old woman. "And_ we_ need to get to Kenosha!"

Looking back, Brooke's shoulders fell. "Oh, crap. I forgot."

"Well we have to go back… I promised."

"Jackie," Brooke sighed. "It's not like he's gonna be upset with you."

"He has no one, Brooke!" Jackie snapped. "I'm the only one who goes to see him… Michael, pull over!"

The light turned green and Kelso drove through the intersection in a panic. "I'm confused. I don't know what to do… What's she talking about?"

Brooke turned toward him. "Her dad, remember. She visits him every year on Thanksgiving." She twisted back around to face Jackie. "Ok, how about this. We go to the Formans'. We eat. We tell them we have to go. We explain why. And on the way home we'll stop by…You won't be rushed that way," she reasoned.

Agonizing, Jackie frowned. "You promise we'll stop?"

"I promise…"

* * *

The Forman Residence

4:51 p.m.

"Oh, sure. Make fun of the foreign kid!" Fez carped and folded his arms, giving Hyde, Jessica, Eric and Donna a chuckle. "Holy day, my ass."

"Man, it's not a holy day," Hyde explained. "And for the last time, the Indians and the Pilgrims did not have an orgy. They just… had dinner together."

Fez made a face. "Not even _after_ they ate?" Everyone shook their heads, making the foreigner scoff. "Well then what's to celebrate?" Sickened, he looked away. "What a sham."

Hyde nodded. "Actually, yeah, man…" Just as he was about to begin his yearly story of Thanksgiving tyranny, he looked over and saw Jackie stroll in miserably through the front door with Kelso and Brooke. "The…The, um…" He turned back to his friends. "The real…"

"Hey!" Kelso called out and came over smiling, blowing his breath into his hands, with Brooke and Jackie behind him. "It's freaking cold out there!"

The kids broke loose and began to yell and bounce toward Fez. "Candy! Candy!"

"Did I hear somebody asking for candy?" Fez asked them, cupping his hand over his ear, and when they all nodded excitedly, he smiled. Brooke shook her head and laughed. "Well your Uncle Fez," he leaned down secretively, "…just happens to have some."

"Yay!" all three kids shouted and hopped behind Fez into the kitchen. The sounds of Kitty screeching happily upon the sight of them wafted through the swinging door.

Plotting, Jackie slipped around to Donna and pulled her away. "Okay. I need you to get rid of Jessica for me," she declared, her lips pinched down like a grumpy old man.

Donna recoiled and looked around. "What? You mean like," The red head sliced her fingers across her neck. "…get _rid_ of her?"

"No," Jackie smacked Donna's arm. "I mean like take her to the store for just like twenty minutes."

"Why?"

"I need to talk to Steven."

"Oh, no, no. I'm not getting involved in this anymore." Shaking her head, Donna folded her arms, adamant. "They're back together, Jackie. Just leave it."

"_Colin knows,"_ Jackie snarled. "I need to talk to Steven. I'm not trying to get him_ back_, Donna."

Donna sighed, and then pointed, narrowing her eyes. "You're not gonna make out with him or anything, right?"

"I'm not. I swear."

Donna thought it over. "Fine… Gimme a minute." Nervously, the redhead meandered toward the blond. "So… Jess…" She smiled and wiggled her nose. "You want to come with me to the store or something?"

Standing beside Hyde, Jessica knit her eyebrows curiously. "What store? For what?"

"The…liquor…store." Donna's eyebrows rose in her discomfort. "I want some… liquor," she nodded.

Eric pointed his thumb toward the kitchen, bewildered by his fiancé. "But there's tons of liquor in the kitchen."

"Well…" Donna feigned amusement. "I want more, honey."

"But there's like two bottles of everything in there."

"I want _more_," she growled, widening her eyes.

"Jeez, Donna," Kelso sneered. "I figured you'd be the last of us to turn into a booze hound."

Aggravated, Donna simply let her face fall and returned her attention to Jessica. "Will you come with me or not?"

Jessica shrugged. "Okay."

Suspiciously, Hyde frowned at the exchange and took a quick kiss from Jessica, who smiled. "I'll be right back, babe."

"Yeah, ok." He watched them grab their coats and walk out the door before he turned his distrustful eyes on the people around him. "Alright. What the hell was that about?" Most everyone shrugged, except the only two women in the room, Brooke and Jackie, who tried to look around innocently. Hyde narrowed his eyes. "What do you two know?"

Busted, Jackie scrunched her face. "Fine. I had Donna get rid of her for a minute."

Hyde frowned. "What?"

"C'mere." Throwing her coat on the couch, Jackie stepped over to Hyde and pulled him toward the stairs. "We need to talk."

"Nope." Obstinately, Hyde shook his head and took a sip of his beer. "We're done talking."

"It's important… I have to tell you something."

Hyde's face blanched. "Oh, crap, you aren't pregnant, are you?"

"_OH_, my God!" Eric nearly shouted, happy as a clam and laughing. "I knew it!" He held his hand out to Kelso, who angrily reached into his pocket and slapped a five dollar bill in his friend's hand.

"No,_stupids_," Jackie spat. "I'm not pregnant!"

Taking back his money, Kelso grinned. "Man. That would have been worth the five bucks, though, for sure."

Rolling her eyes back over to Hyde, Jackie gave him a serious look. "Can we talk? Please… Away from these idiots." Her eyes told him to go, begged him. "It's important."

Brooding a moment, Hyde relaxed. "Fine… I have something to tell you anyway."

"Doh!" Kelso grinned. "_You're_ not pregnant, are you, Hyde?" Together, he and Eric laughed.

"Michael. Leave them alone," Brooke smacked his back as Jackie laced her fingers with Hyde's and carted him down to the basement and into his old bedroom. It was quiet there. No one would find them. Cozy. Too cozy, Hyde must have thought, because when they stepped inside, he let go and backed away a few feet, crossing his arms.

"So what was so important that you had my girlfriend shipped off to the liquor store?"

"Colin knows."

Turning quiet, Hyde dropped his defensive stance. "Oh… So is that… Is that why he's not here?" At his question, Jackie simply nodded, making him exhale loudly and clear his throat. "Yeah, well… I kind of told Jessica, too."

Jackie raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, I know. Thanks for warning me."

Hyde frowned. "What?"

"She told me," Jackie explained grudgingly. "She came to _me,_Steven,for advice, and I realized, obviously, that she had no idea that it was me… It was just a little awkward."

More than slightly annoyed, Hyde pressed his tongue against his teeth. Why the hell was Jessica going to Jackie with their problems? Giving in to the debacle that was his life, he raised his hands. "What'd you want me to do? You weren't talking to me anyway… So is that it? What was so important that you brought me down here?"

"Steven…" Jackie stepped forward. "Colin knows it was _you_…He knows _everything_."

Hyde's face fell. "What do you mean 'everything?'"

"I mean _everything_," Jackie replied curtly. "Remember that _stupid car_ that runs on water that you insisted Carol and I take pictures of?"

"Yeah," Hyde winced; pretty sure he knew where this was going.

"He found them. We… It was…that morning after, you know, we…"

"I remember," Hyde acknowledged quickly.

"Yeah, well we were a little too… close… in the pictures," Jackie explained, annoyed at their impudence, and the odds. "And I just… It just all came out." Taking another step closer, she immediately noticed his discomfort. "Steven…" She lowered her voice. "I don't know when, but… he's gonna come after you… I know him."

Hyde blew out an accepting breath. "Yeah, well…" Backing up, he sat down on the chaise lounger behind him. "I kind of figured that much."

Jackie knelt in front of him, placing her hands on his knees. "I'm so sorry." To his surprise, she leaned forward and hugged him. Hyde closed his eyes—he still liked the way she felt—and nuzzled his nose into her hair.

"You broke up?"

"I don't know. He just left... And I can't get a hold of him."

It was then, alone in his room, holding her and smelling her hair, very aware of her mouth, that Jessica's request began to make sense to Hyde. The only way to really end this was to take himself away from temptation. Far enough away, he would forget about how much he wanted his ex-girlfriend. It had worked once before.

"Hey." Taking hold of her arms, Hyde put an arm's-length distance between them. "It's gonna be alright. Okay?"

"Yeah. For you, maybe," Jackie griped and watched him suspiciously. "And why are you being nice to me? Why aren't you mad at me?"

"I am," he frowned.

"Well you're not _acting_ like it."

Flabbergasted, Hyde lifted his eyebrows. "Well I can try harder if you want me to."

Jackie opened her mouth to give a terse reply but wound up working to suppress the smile that wanted out. She failed and rolled her eyes, smiling. "No." Her eyes grew tender, amused at his arrogant expression. "I guess I_ do_ like you a _little_ bit better like this."

Hyde leaned forward. "I think you just like me." He punctuated the statement with a grin and kissed her forehead. "Come on. We should get back before anybody realizes we're gone…"

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

Thanksgiving Dinner

Orange and red, brown and black, poultry and food galore. The living room of Kitty Forman consisted of little else on this Thanksgiving Day, other than the people in her life. They were seated between two tables, one bigger and much fancier, and the other: the typical 'Kid's table', slapped together with chairs of different shapes and sizes. Kitty smiled and set down a large plate of warm biscuits on the larger table.

"Alright! Biscuits!" Ecstatic, Kelso grabbed one and took a bite. "The grown ups' table kicks ass!" He looked to his right at the eight people seated at the kid's table. One, though, in particular, was his focus. "Ha! Biscuit! In your face, Hyde!" With a growl, he took a fierce bite and smiled.

In response, Hyde simply reached into the center of their table and pulled a biscuit from a deep bowl. "Ha," he mocked. "Biscuit."

"Wait," Kelso frowned, pointing at the pastry in his friend's hand. "How'd you get that?"

Eric shrugged and reached for one, too. "We just asked for them."

Hyde took a bite and smiled as he chewed. "They're warm, too."

Kelso scowled in indignation. "What the hell, Mrs. F," he groused, turning on his hostess. "What's the point of being allowed at the grown ups' table if I can't shove warm biscuits in Hyde's face?"

"Now, Michael…" Kitty sat down. "You and Brooke are about to be married, so we thought it was time that we treat you like adults and let you in on the adult conversation." She smiled

Beside Kelso, Bob raised his napkin and smiled. "Ooh, look, a Pterodactyl!"

"But I don't wanna have adult conversation," Kelso whined to Kitty. He looked over at the kid's table, pining as Eric, Hyde and Fez knife battled. "I wanna knife battle."

Red dropped his silverware in his plate. "Kelso, if you don't stop whining, you and I are gonna have a 'My foot/your ass' battle. Now shut it."

"You tell him, daddy," Laurie smirked haughtily. "I think there should be a test to be able to sit at this table."

"Oh, he was tested," Brooke cut in graciously. "Especially after I heard he'd been with you."

Laurie's jaw fell as she struggled to find an insult. "Librarian!"

Brooke narrowed her eyes. "Un… Dis… Skank!" She frowned at her own barbaric response and looked to Jackie for approval, from which she got a thumbs up and a wink.

Kitty crooked her mouth and grabbed a biscuit. "Oh, this is real nice."

Suddenly, while Kelso was excitedly watching his ex-girlfriend and his fiancé eye each other, a warm biscuit smacked him in the head. "What the hell?" He looked over. "Okay. Who did that?" Just then, Justin, Christie's son threw another biscuit at him. "Hey!" Kelso tried to scold. "No throwing biscuits at the adults!"

Justin threw another.

Hyde grinned. "I like this kid."

And in an all out battle, Bradley, Hyde and Justin began to pelt Kelso with warm, fresh out of the oven, 'Kid's table' biscuits. Hyde coached the kids as Eric joined in. "It's in the wrist," Hyde showed Bradley. "Snap it… Snap it…"

Kitty looked up at Kelso and sighed. "Well, Michael. You need to stop playing with those biscuits… You're just… You're making a mess."

"What?" His head shifted from Kitty to the snickering, gloating crowd at the other table and back again. "No! It's not me!"

Brooke took her eyes from Laurie and gawked at Kelso's part of the table, covered in biscuits. "Michael! _What_ are you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything! I swear," Kelso whined and felt another biscuit pelt him from the left side and turned to see a smirking Red. "You're supposed to be a grown up, Red!" Kelso shrieked angrily.

Jackie grabbed a biscuit and threw it. "Come on, Jessica." She handed the blond one. "Throw one."

Jessica shook her head and laughed. "No."

"Come on!" Jackie pushed. "It's fun."

"No, I couldn't."

"Jessica. You _really_ need to lighten up," the brunette divulged. "Irritating Michael is, like, Thanksgiving tradition."

Hyde nodded.

"It really is," Donna cut in, throwing a biscuit, herself. "It's kind of like dressing Fez up in a dress at the end of the night."

"Oh, that is a tradition for every holiday," Fez smiled.

Jessica waved the biscuit away. "No, I'm good. Really."

"Suit yourself," Jackie shrugged and threw it, beaming her ex-boyfriend in the ear and making Hyde smile to himself from across the table. To his left, Jessica sat watching, smiling, slightly enjoying seeing Kelso practically cry at the grown ups table, but just watching nonetheless as Jackie whipped one more at the grown-up's table and ducked.

"My eye!"

* * *

Forty Minutes Later

"Self Control," by the Laura Branigan plays quietly in the background.

It probably wasn't the smartest thing to be doing, especially not with his girlfriend practically sitting on his lap, but his eyes had a mind of their own, an agenda, really. It was just that she looked good today. Her body was thought-inducing, especially as she giggled at Fez, who was busy trying to cheer her up by doing the robot, and quietly danced with him over by the stairs. Her smile was infectious, and her healthy pink lips formed flawlessly over straight teeth. Her eyes, blue and green, were colored to his taste tonight; he liked when she wore all that smoky stuff around them. And she knew what he liked. She _knew._

Hyde looked back to the company he kept at the table just as Eric made another lame joke. Laurie sneered at him. Jessica smiled at him. The new kid and Bradley were staring at him. This was so stupid and risky. But his gluttonous eyes soon returned to the view by the stairs. Desire, want, it was a high all its own. It gave his body a rush. His heart pounded. His breath thickened. That's what she did; she made him high, and her presence unquestionably made a dull party a whole hell of a lot better to be at…

… _April, 1979…_

_Below him, Jackie's head had fallen back onto his pillow, her hair sexily mussing around her smiling face as her chin reached for the ceiling. _

"_Say it," she purred and closed her eyes in anticipation, inside her fists the curls at the back of his head. Affectionately, she gripped them. "Say it, Steven." He would never, as long as he lived, forget the excited look of approaching lust that animated her mouth and jaw that night. She bit wildly at her lips. Her tongue licked. Her mouth opened. She was eager and waiting, but he wanted to make her wait a little more. The girl was crazy, the things that turned her on—insane, but God, she was so sexy, and he vowed to send her willing little body into a frenzy._

"…_for the…" Hyde swallowed, his breath coming in pants. The words were dangling at the tip of his tongue, making his head swell, and somehow, as she writhed against him, they were beginning to sound dirty to him, too. Hot. So much that he opened his mouth, letting the steam of his breath moisten her skin, and finally hissed in her ear, "… Cost Share Analysis." _

"_Oh, GOD," Jackie cried out, throwing her head back as Hyde plunged inside her, thrusting deep until he was completely buried, until his pelvis was able to feel her succulence, his dick finally sheathed and warm. He wriggled his hips and growled. FUCK, she felt good. _

_Jackie's eyes snapped open. "Keep going," she smirked lasciviously. "Tell me what else you did."_

_Hyde grinned at her sexual tenacity. He liked it. "Uh… Oh," He drew his hips back as she slapped a wanton kiss on his lips and clutched at his hair. "After lunch, I had to collate the…" He paused, half for strategy, half lost in his licentious haze. _

_Jackie began to heave. "Yeah…"_

_Once he was sure her body was aching for it, her hips rolling like a wave beneath him, he slid the head of his dick another inch inside and pulled back, enjoying the way the tease made her eyes flutter closed. "…the monthly expense reports," he finished and drove himself back inside, squeezing his own eyes shut at the feeling, the intensity driving him to bury his face in her neck. "Ah… Jesus, Jackie." God, it was too good, but before he could rally his other senses, his girlfriend seized his mouth. _

"_God, you're so… dirty, Steven." _

_He kissed her back, wild and hard. "You're fucking… crazy, you know that?" _

_Jackie nodded as they sucked and bit at each other's mouths. "Keep going," she whined, grinding her hips, frustrated with his teasing pace. "Make me come … Talk to me."_

_His only instinct, though, was to pump in and out of her as they kissed. To fight the urge was pointless, not to mention stupid. She was just too hospitable on the inside. And fuck if he knew what else to say. He was not a talker; he was barely a doer, and he certainly couldn't do both at the same time. _

"_Steven!"_

_Upon her demand, Hyde had a thought and turned them both over, maintaining their connection as he sat down and brought her down onto his lap. Immediately, while she began to rock her hips, Hyde kissed her mouth and finished unfastening the last buttons of her shirt. He smiled, moaning in relief when he reached the flesh of her chest and kneaded at her breasts. _

"_God damn, Jackie." Raising an eyebrow, Hyde closed his eyes. Already, he could feel the pressure beginning to build in his groin, driving him to grab her ass and bounce her over him. Her moans and pants, and, more especially, the impatient thrusts of her tongue into his mouth, were going to make this one a very short trip to his bedroom. He felt a tug a moment later and realized that she was undoing his tie. _

"_Oh, Puddin' Pop," Jackie stilled her hips to focus on his chest. "You are so sexy in that suit." She loosened his tie until it was simply hanging around his neck and unbuttoned his shirt as she more fiercely resumed her grinding. "Make me come good, honey." Jackie nodded insistently and grabbed the two ends of his tie. "Keep talking." _

_Twisting each end of the tie around her hands, Jackie leaned back slightly, using the material to leverage her movements and giving Hyde the view of a lifetime as he frowned at her orders. Talk… Her body undulated and swelled against him … Talk… Awe taking over, Hyde pressed his palms to her bare breasts and ran them down her sides, stopping at her hips to guide her movement. And where his eyes stopped, where they would lie until his completion, was the sweet place where his dick disappeared inside her. Over and over, he watched it slide into her pussy and come out glistening. _

"_Oh, fuck, I'm gonna come. I can't hold it." _

"_No, Steven!" Urgently, she rocked over him. "Wait... Don't come yet…Say something!" she commanded and sat straight up, wrapping her hands around his neck as she worked her hips, fighting for orgasm. "I'm gonna come soon."_

_Hyde began to panic, the pressure beneath his cock nearly ready to erupt. "Crap! Um… Um… Oh! I got it!" he yelled out. "I tried to get someone fired yesterday!"_

_Her eyes focused below his abdomen, Jackie raised her eyebrows. "Really," she panted. "Why?"_

"_Cause this moron from Human Resources was pissing me off…" Hyde held his breath briefly, trying to keep his orgasm at bay. "…and I couldn't kick his ass 'cause I was at work."_

_Jackie looked up. "You wanted to fight at work?" she asked, her eyes widening, and when he nodded, she smiled and threw her head back. "Oh, GOD, that is so hot, Steven." A moment later, their bodies brutally colliding, Hyde felt her begin to shake inside and heard the sharp whimpers that meant her body was coming. He slammed her hips down over him a few more times before hitting his own threshold, and lifted her off._

"_Oh…Fuck." He shut his eyes as she considerately milked his cock and then, together, they fell onto the bed, coming to rest on their backs. "God damn, Jackie," he exhaled and smiled agreeably. "I vote you 'Best Cocktail Party Date Ever'."_

"_I told you," Jackie smirked proudly. "And you better never forget it either." She turned on her side to face him, her face suddenly wrought with worry. "So do you think anyone noticed we left?" _

_Hyde closed his eyes, his lungs still fighting for air. "Who cares."_

"_You feel better?" he heard her ask._

"_Yeah," He looked over. "I'm definitely over my flowchart-business-dork slip up."_

_Jackie smiled and sat up. "Well sit up. We need to get back."_

_Tired, but satisfied, Hyde sat up and raised his chin as she buttoned him back up and re-tied his necktie. _

"_What are we gonna do, Steven? We're all worked up and dewy now. We can't go back out there like this."_

_Hyde grinned and reached into the little box on his dresser, pulling out a joint. "Problem solved, darling," he said and gave her lips a kiss… _

"He-llo… Steven…"

Reality rushed forward, and Hyde looked over toward Jessica. "Huh? What?"

"I said, 'What are you thinking about?"

"What, me? Nothing." He looked forward. The damn kids were still staring at him. "I wasn't thinking about anything."

"Well, have you thought about what I said?"

Hyde let his eyes wander again near the stairs, but was careful to not let them fall where they wanted to. It was pretty clear now that Jacquelyn Burkhart was going to be the end of him if he let this continue. And aside from the fact that he spent half of his days now trying to figure out how to break up with Jessica humanely, his life wasn't so terribly bad.

He looked at Jessica. "Yeah, actually, I have."

"Well?" she pressed with little left of the 'gingerly approach' she typically used. He was the one on the short leash now. "So… Are you gonna move with me to Chicago or not?"

"Yeah," he nodded and gave her the tiniest glimmer of a smile. "Yeah, I'll go."

Jessica beamed, gasping at his answer. "Oh my God. You will?" Throwing her arms around his neck, she crashed into him and kissed his mouth hard. From across the room, Jackie watched Hyde push his girlfriend away as prudently as she'd ever seen him be and whisper in her ear, making her smile before glancing over toward the stairs uneasily. Old habits were hard to break, maybe, and an old dog could not be taught new tricks, but from where she stood, one thing was clear, the power was shifting…

* * *

Forman Driveway

7:15 p.m.

Kelso leaned belly first into Eric's new car. "Man, Donna's gonna think he farted," he snickered.

"Just hurry up." Hyde, the spotter, groused and peered around though the rain. "The point is to not let him know who did it."

"Oh, he's gonna know." Kelso crawled out and stood up, wiping his hands on his pants. "I carved my initials on the bombs."

Impressed, Hyde nodded. "I like it… Like a calling card."

Both grinned at each other and turned around, running straight into a soaking wet, and obviously drunk, Colin.

His mouth agape, Kelso glanced at Hyde briefly and then back at Colin. "Hey, man," he said gingerly, noticing that the foreigner wouldn't take his bloodshot eyes off Hyde, who only dropped his shoulders. "Um… Maybe you guys should take this somewhere else, you know…"

Colin, kept his eyes, glazed with self-restraint, on Hyde. "You know why I'm here."

Hyde nodded. "Kelso, go in the house. Keep the girls in the living room."

Kelso looked between both men. "You sure, man?"

"Yeah, I'm sure… Just go… And keep Jess away."

Colin shook his head as Kelso ran into the house. "You know," he uttered calmly. "Where I'm from, you fuck somebody's girl, you get your face scrubbed by the pavement."

Accepting his fate, Hyde drew in a deep breath and pushed it back out. "Yeah, that's pretty much how it works here, too." And with that…_CRACK!_ ...his neck snapped backwards from the force of Colin's wrath-driven fist. The sudden pain in his face proved excruciating, a fierce, throbbing sting in his nose. He turned his head down, fighting the burn, and grabbed his face before receiving a vicious blow to his temple. Pain exploded through his skull. "Ah… _Fuck!"_ he yelled and stepped away, grabbing his head. "God damn it." As much as his body told him to, he could not fight back. It just wasn't in the code. He held up his hand. "Hang on… Shit." The volatile throb in his head worried him briefly, but he straightened up when the worst of it passed and nodded, summoning another punch, this time to his mouth, sending him back against Eric's car.

"Colin!" Jackie ran out from the sliding glass door into the rain, followed by Red and Kitty.

"What's happening?!" Kitty, in a panic, was quickly stopped and held beneath the awning by Red.

"Kitty, stay out of it."

She shook her head, and shut her eyes as Hyde took another strike to his face. "Oh my God, Red! I'm calling the police!"

"No, you're not," he said sternly, realizing what was occurring on his driveway. "This is a fight between men. Fair and square… Why don't you go inside?"

"I'm not going anywhere!"

Following them, Donna stepped outside and slapped her hand to her mouth. "Oh my God!" Eric and Kelso ran past her as she turned around and ran into Jessica. "You… um, let's go inside."

"What's going on?"

Jackie ran up to Colin and shoved him backwards. "Colin, stop it! This is between you and me!"

"The fuck it is, Jackie! Get out of the way!"

"No!" she refused angrily. "Let's just go and talk, ok… Me and you."

"_Get_ out of the way." He grabbed Jackie's shoulders and moved her to his right, but she only came back. "Jackie! Get out of the way!"

"No!"

"What the fuck?" Indignant, Colin scowled at her. "You're defending _him_? He dumped you for a stripper, Jackie!"

Behind her, Hyde climbed to his feet. "Jackie, get out of the way."

"No," Jackie refused tearfully. "Both of you stop it!"

Hyde looked at his friend. "Kelso, get her the hell out of the way!" And just as a festered Kelso complied, dragging Jackie, squirming and arguing, from his and Colin's path, Hyde heard another female voice to his left.

"Steven?" He looked over and saw Jessica standing in the rain, her eyes red with confused tears. "Baby, what's going on?"

Hyde shut his eyes, exhaling the last of his will as his shoulder's fell. "Shit." And, with the might of what felt like a freight train, another blow struck his mouth, forcing him backwards as his face tightened painfully. "Ah! God _damn_ it!" He spit blood. It felt as if his teeth had broken through his bottom lip, but what made the sensation all the more difficult to take were the struggles and cries coming from Jackie, screaming Colin's name, begging him to stop as Hyde was hit again and finally brought down to the ground, the left side of his head smacking onto the pavement.

Jessica rushed to his side as Eric stepped toward Colin and shoved him. "Dude, it's enough!" Almost as angry at his beaten friend, Eric turned a scorned look at Hyde. "Man, why aren't you fighting back?!"

"Forman." Dazed, Hyde struggled to sit up and held out his hand, trying to think past Jessica's sobbing questions in his ear. "Man, stay out of it… Just get her out of here."

"Get the fuck up," Colin demanded. "Fight back… I'll still kick your ass."

Jessica shot a fierce look at Colin. ""_You_ shut the fuck up!" She looked around. "Will someone just tell me what the_ hell_ is going on?"

Willing to take orders from only her, Colin stepped back and rubbed his eyes, guilt riding on his face as Jackie sobbed to his left. Things were going too far, and beating the shit out of Hyde wasn't making him feel any better. In fact, he was only beginning to feel farther and farther from himself and the lost life he was avenging. Dropping his hands to his side, he looked at Jessica, huffing as he realized that he hadn't even thought of her until now, and the sense that he was alone disappeared. "You didn't know either, did you?" he breathed out unevenly.

Jessica glowered at him. "Know what?" Suddenly the world seemed to silence; only the cold rain continued, soaking all six in the driveway as Jessica scanned every face and then returned to Colin. "Know _what?!"_ she repeated with more insistence.

Colin shook his head, eyeing Kelso and Eric. "You all knew. Didn't you?" he asked, finding little else but shamed faces. Taking mercy on only Jessica, Colin relaxed his swelling fist and looked her square in the eye. "Your boyfriend has been fucking my fiancé since Halloween. My_ ex_-fiancé," he corrected himself quickly and sucked in a deep, deep breath. "He was going to leave you for her."

Guilty, Jackie shut her eyes while behind her, Kelso shot Colin a disappointed look. "Man, Colin."

"Fuck you, Kelso. I thought you were my friend."

"I am, man. But Hyde's been my friend a lot longer, okay?"

Regardless of the alcohol in his system, Colin began to feel the unique pang of betrayal. He had trusted them all. He had trusted _her_, but at the moment, all he trusted in the world was himself and the blond on the ground a few feet away; because apparently, she was just as ignorant and stupid as he.

"Steven?" Jessica's eyes bore into Hyde's. "Is he telling the truth?" Her face contorted as she tried to expel the words from her mouth. "It…" She held back a sob. "It was her?"

Realizing just how much he deserved the pain thumping in his head, Hyde downcast his swollen, soaking wet eyes. "Yeah… It was her."

Below the dark blue twilight of this final day, as the rain continued to pour, Jessica stared, vacantly disenchanted, at the man that she had allowed herself to fall in love with. For more than a year, she had toiled under the assumption that he was hers. Bare sex, the pain of imagining him naked with another, was squalor compared to the sudden vacuum inside her heart. He had given her little, and now she was empty because had given more than his body away.

Colin's words began to form a story… Halloween… your boyfriend… my fiancé… Leave you for her…

"Jess…"

The blond shook her head, grateful for the rain that cloaked her tears. "You were gonna…" Her chest quaked. "…leave me for her?" Culpable, Hyde looked down in disgrace, and a realization hit Jessica. "Oh m… God, you already tried."

"I'm sorry," he muttered inaudibly and closed his eyes, recognizing an epiphany when one washed over him. He was an asshole. The eyes around him magnified the feeling. Jackie's sobs, Colin's demoralized stance, Jessica's crestfallen, pretty face, he was wearing it all. "I'm really…_sorry_, Jessica." It came out and he looked up with sincerity, but he knew it was useless.

Feeling her heart wrench in her chest, Jessica stood up. A mile above her head, a minute in the past, the sky had opened wide and now its torrent was pummeling her body and the earth without mercy. She glanced at Jackie, who watched her, crying… then at Kelso, around to Eric, and then to everyone beneath the Forman porch: Red, Kitty, Brooke, Laurie, Bob, Midge and Donna. Only Fez and the children were missing. "You all knew?" she asked, bringing her scrutiny on the person closest to her. "Eric?"

Like a coward, he lowered his head and Jessica turned to Donna, who was still crying from watching Hyde get hit repeatedly. "Donna?" The red head, like her boyfriend, only lowered her head. The faces around her wore the same dishonor. "Oh my God." Jessica whipped her head right at Jackie and stepped forward. "You." She narrowed her eyes, suddenly angry at the brunette's beauty and the luck that had been hers for snaring his impossible heart so young. "How could you?" Bringing guilt with her gaze, her head shaking, Jessica stepped forward. "You knew how much I loved him."

"I didn't know… until…"

"You _knew!"_Jessica screamed."How could you?! You knew how it _felt!_ He did it to _you_!"

"I'm sorry." Gasping in her next series of breaths, Jackie sobbed. It was like looking in a mirror and looking back to the past. What would she think of her now? The young girl who was taken down by him five years before. She had passed it on, the pain. "I'm sorry," was all she could say over and over again.

Jessica started to cry, too. "You're a whore."

"No." Sorrowfully, Jackie shook her head. "I swear I'm not."

"Yes, you are," Jessica informed her tearfully. "You're a selfish whore." And with regret already in her heart, she slapped Jackie lackadaisically across the cheek. "I hate you," she cried. "I've _always_ hated you!" Jessica soaked Jackie's crying face in, strangely adhering; she would have moved heaven and earth for him, she would have walked through the worst parts of hell just to earn the right to his love, and he wanted _her._ He probably always had. "Now I know why."

Jackie ignored the hot sting over her left cheek, knowing that she deserved it. What she wouldn't have given to knock the living shit out of Sam. And yes, Jessica was right, she knew; she should have known how it felt and stopped their affair, but Jessica did not know the whole of this pain. To imagine hurts but to see it for yourself is a cycle of death, over and over, to see him lay his lips on someone else, to watch his jaw move sensually, and to see him smile.

Jackie's repentant eyes were set on Jessica until an arm wrapped around the blonde's waist and pulled her back. It was Hyde's, and he whispered something in her ear from behind.

"Don't touch me!" Jessica pushed him back and, to no one's surprise, except Hyde's, sought refuge behind Colin. She grabbed the Irishman's arm and looked at Hyde distressingly. His jaw clenched. "We're finished…There's nothing to talk about," she told him and tugged onto Colin's arm. "Will you… please take me home?" she uttered.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Jess, he's drunk." Unrelentingly, Hyde stepped forward. "Just let someone else take you home."

The blond shook her head. "No," she squinted through the downpour. "I don't wanna be near any one of you."

Beside her, Colin finally came back to life and started to turn around, catching a glimpse of the crowd, sheltered by the porch. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Forman," he said in sincerity and grabbed Jessica's hand, taking her with him. "Let's go."

"Wait," Jackie yelled out and rushed after him.

"Jackie…" Hyde took a step forward to grab her, but stopped cold, thwarted when Colin turned around.

Up ahead, Jackie's face unleashed every plea, every scrap of desperation to Colin_. "Please."_

The gamble worked, and he laid his captivated eyes on her, handing Jessica his keys. "My car's in the street. Go wait inside. It's cold." But the keys did not move and he looked over, taking notice of the worried crinkle on the blonde's face, the distressed energy. "Hey," he said gently. "I promise. I won't leave you… I'll be right behind you."

Reticent, but trusting him, Jessica took the keys and, giving Hyde a wayward glance, took off down the misty, rain-soaked driveway.

"Jess!" Hyde called out gruffly, suffering a sudden rush of dread, but pessimistically gave up on trying again as she ignored him and disappeared into the fog. Grudgingly, he put his attention back on Jackie, sure that his luck would only get worse.

"Colin…Please…" Jackie grabbed Colin's face and squeezed. "Please," she whispered.

"Please,_what,_ Jackie?" he asked, obviously worn, obviously destroyed, and most definitely still in love.

At his question, she drew in a trembling breath and tried to force out an answer. Please _what?_ Just please. So many things. Things she suddenly had no right to ask for. Please don't leave me alone (like he did). Please don't sleep with her (like he did). Please don't hate me (… like he did…).

"I don't know," she found herself uttering. "Just…_please_…don't give up on me." Closing his eyes, with nearly the whole world watching, Colin let her pull his head down to hers. "I love you," she professed tearfully. "I'm sorry."

"I love you, too," he returned softly, causing Jackie to sigh in relief and smile at the intense pleasure of his words. She thought there might be hope until the ring on her left finger was gently wrenched away from her. Kissing her lips one more time, Colin frowned painfully. "But I will _never_ marry you."

It was fair to say that when the man Jackie had planned on loving her forever turned around, what was left of her spirit shattered into pieces. Having to watch him walk away, those words still lingering in the air, drove the tears from her eyes and she began to bawl. He was _walking_ away; _he_, who wanted to commit to her, wanted her children, the boy and the girl that she would never have, the dog, the two cats. They were all lost. And there was nothing, no words to fix it, no way to go back, and no way to change it. She wanted those moments with him back. All the things she meant to tell him, and all the things she'd wanted to hear him say back. "Colin!" she screamed and felt Hyde's arms wrap around her, holding her in place as she tried to run for the street. "COLIN!"

Hyde gripped her tighter. "Just let them go," he commanded her. It wasn't like he didn't want to follow, too. It wasn't the way he wanted it all to go, but chasing was futile, it would only make things worse, and he was exhausted. His body could barely hold itself up, let alone hers. But he had to keep her still. Colin had that look in his eye, the one Hyde had seen in his mirror too many times.

Out on the street, an engine whirred, headlights shined and then, they were gone. And as rain descended on the quiet driveway, its icy cold drops freezing the guilty in place, Hyde felt a chill and hugged Jackie tighter. An old weight was lifting from his shoulders just as the shake of her body began to bear down on him. "Jackie, come on." It was difficult to distinguish her tears from the rain, but she was without doubt still crying, and her face was still wearing the aftermath of her shock as the life in her eyes seemed to disappear. "Baby," he whispered as the rest looked on. "You're gonna freeze out here."

"I don't care."

"Well…I do," he countered. "I'm taking you inside."

"Just leave me here, Steven," Jackie cried, her body slowly weighing down beneath her, but she could feel his grip tighten on her as she slid. He could try all he wanted to stop it, but she was giving up. On everything. It all ended tonight. The child inside, the hope that filled her once optimistic heart, the belief in love, she let it all go and felt her knees buckle.

Barely a foot into her fall, she was caught by Hyde and felt her body rise into the air, her head and knees falling against his shoulders. Jackie closed her eyes. It was too cold, and she was too tired, to argue. Plus, he just felt so solid, so safe, and, tucked against him, she felt perfectly protected.

Jackie in his arms, Hyde turned around, not surprised to see most everyone huddled beneath the awning, two in the rain, still watching them. He had never felt so exposed, and had never in his life experienced what he was feeling for Jackie at that moment— intense solidarity. They were both shamed, both wrong, and as the world shook its head at them, his eyes dared anyone to criticize them. "Someone get her some dry clothes and a blanket," he said, the first one to speak.

"Laurie, get some warm clothes for Jackie," Kitty ordered, and ran into the house to grab her medical kit. "Red! Get the boys some dry clothes!" she yelled back.

Red turned into the house to rush up to his bedroom.

His lips bright purple from the cold, Hyde looked around at his friends briefly and then carried Jackie past them into the house.

Sensing his descent down the basement steps, Jackie wrapped her arms around his neck. "Where are we going?"

"My room."

Once inside his old, familiar bedroom, Hyde laid Jackie down on his bed and dropped his forehead on her shoulder. It wasn't until now, as his adrenaline began to wane, that he realized just _how_ frozen and tired his body was. Painfully so. The muscles in his back burned from it as he began to shake at his core, although his head was warming with Jackie arms around it, hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry," he heard her whisper.

Far from wanting to talk about it, Hyde sat up and grabbed the blanket at the foot of the bed. He draped it over her. "God damn," he stuttered, shivering. "It's cold, huh?"

Jackie's eyes widened. "Oh my God." She sat up, just now taking notice of his slick, battered face. "Steven." Her fingers gently touched his jaw. "God, baby... Why didn't you fight back?" she asked him, suddenly angrily. "You just let him beat on you."

"I wasn't gonna hit him, Jackie… I'm pretty sure I did enough."

Awed at his prudence, Jackie pushed her lower lip out. _Sometimes_, she was beginning to notice, he could be so noble, and so incredibly wonderful. "Well are you okay?"

Hyde touched her left cheek. "Yeah… You?" Jackie nodded. "Why didn't _you_ fight back?" he asked her.

"Because_ you_ didn't."

Hyde let a little smile escape, but made a face when he thought of the wedding, only two days away. "Crap. So does it look really bad?"

"A little," she admitted regretfully, touching his lips. "Your bottom lip is cut… and you're bleeding…here," Her thumb swept across his left cheekbone, "and here." She took a deep breath. "God. This is all my fault. I should've lied to him or warned you last night or…"

"Or what, Jackie?" Hyde interrupted solemnly. "They were bound to find out anyway. Why not on Thanksgiving at the Formans' with everybody we know here to witness?" Letting his failed attempt at a smile fall, he shook his head; the night was finally beginning to come into focus. "I should have been the one to tell her… Fuck."

Any other time, for any other situation, Jackie might have responded, might have given him some catty reply about how selfish he was or what a jerk he could be, but she could only watch as he breathed and closed his swollen eyes. He was neither selfish nor a jerk. His face was wearing the punishment for the both of them. His lips, inflamed and colored like ripe plums, his diluted blood and the guilt that was now his for another broken heart under his belt, they were the price he had paid to make love to her for a two weeks, and she wondered if he would do it again, knowing.

"C'mere." Jackie thrust her downhearted body at him and wrapped his neck up tight inside her arms. Exploiting every muscle in her back, she fell back onto the bed, bringing him down with her. Years before, a history teacher had read to her class that 'Mercy for the guilty is cruelty to the innocent', but whoever said that was an idiot, Jackie decided. Hyde was cold, and below her, his arms slid and clutched her so tightly that she feared for her breath, but the desire to make him warm again suddenly rose above her own needs.

Pinching her eyes shut, she hugged his head with all her might and just lay with him as her thoughts returned to Colin.

Quietly watching, Kitty tip-toed in. "It's just me," she called out, causing both to look over. "We gathered some warm clothes… Laurie's got them in the dryer to heat them up… and some blankets." She raised them. On top was a small, white box. "Brooke's making cocoa."

Jackie and Hyde both sat up. "Thanks," Jackie said, taking a blanket from Kitty's hands and draping it over her shoulder. She hung her head, as did Hyde when he took his.

"You two…" Kitty began disappointedly, but veered from scolding then when she looked at Hyde and was reminded of his fight. "Oh, Steven." She knelt down in front of him and cringed. "My poor baby."

Rejecting her sympathy, he shook his head. "I had it coming."

"Well maybe so, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna like it," the older woman said, opening up her medical kit. "I'm not going to tell you two I told you so, because it's useless now, but…"

Laurie, with a pile of clothes in hand, walked inside timidly. "I've got the clothes." She winced at Hyde. "Jeez. Colin really walloped you good, huh?"

"Thank you for reminding him, Laurie," Kitty snapped. "Now just hand Jackie the clothes and go. Shoo, young lady."

"God, I was just saying." The blond handed Jackie the fresh out of the dryer stack. "So you two really…" She gestured between them.

Both Jackie and Hyde nodded, making Laurie smile dreamily. "Well I think it's kind of romantic. A little screwy, maybe, but what great love story isn't? Look at Joanie and Chachi…"

"Laurie… Out."

Laurie rolled her eyes at her mother. "Fine." Her snotty expression turned into a smile, though, as she strolled out, closing the door behind her.

"Alright, enough with the down faces," Kitty scolded Jackie and Hyde as she cleaned Hyde's cuts with an alcohol swab, making him recoil. "I'm not a stupid woman, you know. I know you want to be together, but you both have a responsibility to those two people." She shook her head. "Poor Jessica. You broke her heart, Steven."

Hyde scowled as she checked the back of his head for blood. "You don't think I know that."

"Oh, I know you know that, mister, but you're a grown man now and I just hope you realize what you have to do." Confused, Hyde frowned and waited. "You need to go see her and apologize. Not next week, not five years from now, Steven… Tonight."

Hyde shook his head. "No way."

"Steven," Kitty practically growled. "You are too old to be running away from your problems."

"Yeah, well I'll try to talk to her when this is all blown over."

Beside him, Jackie drew in a deep, choppy breath and stood up. "No, Steven," she asserted. Her eyes beginning to throb again. "You're going to go tonight." It wasn't a suggestion, nor was it advice; it was a demand as she peeled her icy, soaking wet clothes from her body. Her voice shook violently. Her teeth chattered. Her tears warmed her face. And in front of her, Hyde grimaced, but she locked his eyes down with hers. This was important. "You're going to go find her and you're gonna tell her that you're sorry, and that it wasn't her fault, and then you're gonna let her know everything good you've _ever_ felt about her." Jackie pulled Laurie's warm, white sweatshirt down her torso and wiped her eyes.

Resistant, Hyde sighed. "Jackie…"

"Steven," she whispered as he watched tears roll down her cheeks, a loaded expression on her face. And it finally hit him. What he had really done to her. Where it was that he had _really_ failed.

Hyde thought about it and closed his eyes, dreading his decision as it left his mouth. "Okay."

Meekly, Jackie nodded. "Okay." She wiggled into Laurie's sweatpants and sat down. "She's gonna tell you she hates you, Steven, and to leave her alone," Jackie shook her head. "But don't… Okay?" Thinking back to the hours spent on her bed, crying and waiting for him, dying upon Fez's news that Hyde would not be coming, it was easy to remember the things that she had wished for. It was fair to say that had he come, she would have tried to push him away, but on inside she would have begged him to stay. She knew those feelings. Hell, she was feeling them now, but she also knew that it was too late for her. She was jaded, but Jessica, she still had a chance. "Just don't, okay," Jackie added. "Promise me."

His face stinging from alcohol, Hyde watched Jackie curl into the chair and rest her head. More and more everyday he was realizing the impact of what he had done to her. It was here. It was all around them. She carried it everywhere. "Yeah, okay," he agreed.

Kitty placed the final Band-Aid on his cheek and handed him his pile of clothes. "Here you go. Jackie will be fine here with us."

"Mrs. Forman," Clearing his throat, Hyde stood up and walked toward where Jackie sat. "Do you think we could have a minute alone?"

"Sure." Kitty packed up her things and left.

Hyde crouched in front of Jackie. "I think I'll just go see her tomorrow," he offered in exchange, his nervousness showing. "I just wanna get out of here." Tentatively, he placed his hand on her outside of her thigh, testing where they were. "Come with me." He leaned forward and pressed his puckered lips on hers. He kissed her once and tried again, noticing that she was not kissing back.

"When are you gonna go?" she asked when he tried again, making him slouch against her.

"Jackie, I'm trying to kiss you."

"Yeah, I know that, Steven," Jackie shook her head and pushed him away gingerly, including his hand. "You can't wait until tomorrow… Do you know what tomorrow is? That's…" She sat up and looked him in the eye. "That's a lifetime, Steven," she explained plainly. "Do you know how long I waited in my room for you?_Forty-nine_ hours… I cried and waited. I rehearsed what I was going to say to you with my stuffed animals. God, I even rehearsed our make up sex," she confessed sheepishly. "I kept thinking you would come for me, even just at least to make sure I was okay… I was _so_ sure." Jackie swallowed down the urge to cry. It just wasn't the time. "But…You never came, and here we are." It was that final sentence that lit the light in his eyes. They shared a knowing look that forced those eyes down in thought. "Go."

Taking a deep breath, Hyde hesitantly stood up. "You're gonna be here?" he asked her, letting the real meaning seep through in his voice as he asked another vague question. "Do you want me to come back?"_Do you want me?_

Jackie shook her head. "No, it's okay… Just go." She smiled dimly. "I'm fine. I've got… everyone here." Dispirited by her response, Hyde turned around and made his way toward the door, dry clothes in hand. "Steven," she called out, making him look back. "If you find them… you know,_ together_… I don't wanna know. Okay?"

Goaded, Hyde nodded, having hoped she would say something else. "Yeah, okay."

Not a second later, Jackie watched him walk out the door and, when she was sure he was gone, hearing him climb the stairs into the house, she finally let herself cry, wondering how after everything, she found herself alone…

* * *

Twenty-Five Minutes Later

He had no idea what he was doing. At this point, he was just flying by the seat of Red's flannel pajama pants, walking through territory that he had avoided like work.

Hyde looked up.

The bedroom light was on.

Inside was every girl he had ever tossed aside. Every woman he had let think meant nothing to him, when it was not true at all. Many meant_ something_. Big and small. A few simply restored him with a kiss. But this one had unwittingly given him peace; for a little while, she had stilled the angry antagonist inside.

Taking a deep breath to draw in some courage, Hyde walked into Jessica's apartment building, and as he journeyed her steps and came to her front door, he prepared himself for the possibility that Colin was inside. People sought each other in pain. He certainly did. But he hoped that Colin had not sought Jessica. The thought of her with someone else still stung like hell.

Hyde knocked. "Jess." When there was no answer, he rubbed his mouth nervously and pulled out her apartment key, letting himself inside. "Jess," he called again and stepped in. The house was quiet, the only light coming from that one bedroom, hers. He took slow steps, cautious of every corner. He didn't want to see them. Fuck. "Jess." He walked into her bedroom and looked on her bed, relieved to see her alone, curled beneath her covers and crying.

"God, just get out, Steven."

Hyde exhaled. "I just…" He walked in. "I just want to tell you something and then I'll go." She didn't respond, only rolled away from him and curled up tighter as he sat down beside her on the bed. "I'm not here to get you back," he admittedly quietly and swallowed, suddenly feeling the intense sting that came with the realization that he would be losing her for good. "And I'm not saying this so you'll forgive me."

"Fuck you, Steven. Just get out… I don't want you here anymore," Jessica cried softly. "It's over."

He looked down, fighting the voice in his head that told him just to leave. "I… I just wanted you to know that…" Letting go, Hyde closed his eyes. "I love you." He heard her begin to sob and opened his eyes. Her blankets were shaking, but he could barely make out her muffled sounds. Hesitantly, Hyde pulled the blankets down and scooted closer to her. Empathy. It was a bitch. It made him run his hand down her arm. "I have pretty much the whole time."

Her eyes waterlogged and red, Jessica looked up at him, her stunned stare weakening quickly. She put her head back down and closed her eyes. It felt like she was going to die. His words, on that night, did little to ease the pain in her chest. In fact, it only made it worse, especially when he placed his lips on the back of her head and kissed her. At twenty-three she had never been so drawn to another person before, and never before had one been able to light her whole body on fire with one touch, or with a kiss, or with the secrets he would whisper at night. And now he was giving her her last.

"I'm sorry," Hyde whispered in her ear.

Jessica reached back and held his head to hers for a moment, taking a mental snapshot of how he felt. She felt another one of his kisses fall on her ear, making her cry harder.

"Just go," Jessica begged, letting go of him. "Please… God… Just go…"

Slowly, Hyde stood up, watching her as he backed away. There had always been something about her. Something that he liked a lot. But she wasn't for him. And she deserved better. Accepting it as truth, he took a few steps toward the door before stopping briefly, deciding to give his thoughts a voice. "I'm gonna really miss you," he admitted and waited, just in case.

He heard a sniffle. "I'm gonna miss you, too, baby."

Hyde shut his eyes and then quickly left before he could change his mind.

She was beautiful, and generous, and kind, and, as he closed and locked the door to her apartment, he wondered why she hadn't been enough. Guys fell over themselves for her attention, and she had loved _him_, over them all. Even with all his faults, she had been unreasonably patient. In fact, save Jackie, patience tended to be a virtue in all the women who had loved him, for he was slower than most when it came to matters of the heart. But he was learning, and what he learned tonight, as he stepped back out into the rain, was one thing. There was something else entirely inside the girl he had given this up for, something exceptional. He learned that the best parts of himself, all the things he _could_ be, were locked inside her demanding heart, and when_ it_ was broken, so then was he…

* * *

Gino's Bar

One Hour Later

"The Man Who Sold The World" by David Bowie plays from a jukebox in the corner.

Straight ahead of Hyde sat Colin, miserable and drowning himself in beer and what looked like shots of whiskey. Hyde knew immediately that they were more alike than he had ever wanted to believe. A hell of a lot more. Musingly, he watched Colin, who didn't smoke, light a cigarette and drink from his beer. He watched his _enemy_ drop his head into his hands. He was still in love with her. This was his Vegas, a cheap little bar in Milwaukee. A frumpy middle-aged bartender played the stripper. Hyde never felt so much envy.

Inside his pocket was a book of matches, dropped in the rain and only noticeable from the ground. _Gino's Bar_, they had read. Hyde had made the trip through the rain, his head pounding, his face aching, only to find his assumptions to be correct. Colin was drunk, and pissed, but he still wanted her, and Hyde suspected that she stilled wanted him, too, but there was one problem: Hyde wanted her for himself. And so it was, he had three choices. He could turn around and walk away, he could forego self-interest and get her 'dream' back for her, or…

_To Be Continued._

* * *

**A/N2:** Ok, everybody say goodbye to Jessica. That was her last scene. Let me know if you want me to include her fate in the epilogue with everyone else's. Please review. 


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31: What It Takes**

**A/N: **Sorry about the wait. This is the second to last chapter. I cannot believe how awesome you guys are with all the encouragement! And those reviews. Thank you SO much! Ok, so… I'll be honest; I still haven't decided how this ends. A year and a half ago, I was hell bent on reunions, but now, part of me craves poetry, you know, with those poignant tingles that a bittersweet ending and a lesson far gone leaves. And then another part of me sees poetry in a lesson learned just in time. So… My final warning: Right now, there's a 50/50 chance of it going either way. You're just gonna have to let me sort that out for myself and pray for a sufficient absolution. I promise, though, either way, it'll be true to the story and fair to both Jackie and Hyde. Keep your fingers crossed for them, though. Go JH!

Enjoy! Oh, and pay attention to the flashback date. It's another single, ongoing flashback, and it's completely separate from the chapter. And please give Jackie a break; she's having a rough time.

**Music:**

When a Man Loves a Woman by Percy Sledge

* * *

And when your fears subside  
And shadows still remain  
I know that you can love me  
When there's no one left to blame

* * *

_October 12, 1984 …_

_Existing in various forms of intoxication, Hyde grabbed at his stomach and aimed his laughter at the ceiling. "Oh my God, that was the best 'worst day ever'!" He wiped a couple of tears away. "And Kelso just kept running, man. He hauled ass, right past the house." His jollity fanned out through the condominium that held nearly forty people, but the sound that traveled was quickly swallowed up by music and chatter. All that filled Hyde's awareness, though, as he lay on the couch, was that ceiling; fuzzy, but still there. But at the same time, there arrived Jessica's exasperated face, upside down to him as she leaned over the back of the sofa._

"_Steven, I don't think you can get any higher."_

"_Oh, I could get higher," Hyde quickly assured her._

"_I must agree," Eric cut in, pointing at Fez's ceiling from his spot on the floor. "The Great Cafeteria Circle of '76."_

_Beside him, and disagreeing emphatically, Fez shook his head. "No. That circle was terrible. Edna kept skipping my turn…That greedy bitch hated me," he added scornfully. "Sorry, Hyde."_

"_No problem, man."_

_Kelso waved them both off. "No. No. That time Jackie dumped Hyde and he was all ready to kill himself and the CIA showed up to arrest us. Now those were some kick ass circles."_

"_What," Hyde grimaced. "I wasn't going to kill myself."_

"_I distinctly remember you saying you were going to kill yourself," Kelso reiterated._

"_Man, shut up. I did not. I probably said I was gonna kill you for calling the freakin' White House."_

_Kelso smiled, intrigued by the sudden recollection. "Oh, yeah."_

_Hyde looked up and grinned at his girlfriend. "See. I wasn't gonna kill myself. I was a little depressed about her… That's all."_

_Eric laughed. "Man, you were devastated… Jackie, can we talk? Jackie, you wanna talk…"_

_As his friends mocked him and mimicked the past, Hyde watched Jessica lips and jaw tighten. Steam practically flamed from her nostrils. "I'll be over there," she growled and stormed away._

_Raising his head a little, Hyde looked at his friends. "Whoops," he uttered as they all burst out into laughter…_

* * *

**Seven Weeks Later**

**Friday  
November 30, 1984**

**4:30 p.m.**

One foot in front of the other, a sober Steven Hyde made his way up the Kelso driveway and onto the porch. He knocked and, like any other day, was greeted with an open door and a smile; except today he felt like a king, or a giant, or something as they danced around him and sang their creepy songs.

"Uncle Hyde?"

Hyde shifted his eyes to his one and only Godchild, her long, brunette hair wrapped up in pink curlers. "What's up?"

"Did Uncle Colin beat you up?"

"Uhh…" Hyde looked around. Not a grown-up in sight. Now not many women could cause him panic, but this little cherub-faced one could send him into a tailspin. "No?"

"Well then what happened to your face," she demanded to know, a stubborn frown pushing him to answer.

"Um." He looked down to his right at the big brown eyes of Bradley, and beside him, the blue ones of the new kid, both staring up at him in unison, questioning, wanting to know the answer, too. "Uhh…Well, Uncle Hyde drank too much beer last night and fell down, and Uncle Colin tried to help me up, but…uh, it was too slippery, 'cause, you know, it was raining, that…I um, I just kept falling down on my face over and over again." He grinned in punctuation.

"Is that why Auntie Jackie was crying?" Betsy continued with her interrogation, having heard the whispers from the grown ups the night before. "Because she was sad that you hurt yourself?"

"She was crying?"

Betsy nodded. "When you were carrying her. Why were you carrying her? Was she hurt, too?"

"No," Hyde responded and began to look around for their parents, trapped, though, as his miniature entourage followed him through the house and demanded answers. "Well, yeah. Auntie Jackie slipped in the rain and hurt her leg, but she's all good, now. That's why I was carrying her… Kelso!"

"Uncle Eric told Grampa Red that you nailed Auntie Jackie and that that's why Uncle Colin was mad. Is that true? Was there a nail in her leg?"

"No…Yes, there was a nail in her leg... Kelso!"

"Did you put it there like Uncle Eric said?"

"Alright, you guys," a female voice cut in, laughing. "Leave your Uncle Hyde alone before he slips and falls on his face again." Hyde looked over to see Christie and sighed in relief as she clapped her hands together. "Ducktales is on. Go. Go."

"Ducktales!" The kids took off running.

"Thanks," Hyde offered and stepped toward her. "You should put them to work for the CIA. They're pretty brutal."

Christie nodded. "Yeah. I think last night really upset them."

"Oh, crap. Did they see?"

"No," she responded and gestured with her head for him to follow her through the kitchen. "But I think they sensed that everyone was upset and I guess Eric's mother was crying. By the way, you should probably call her." Deciding to hold his tongue, Hyde followed the frail girl through the house and casually checked it for evidence of a scrappy brunette.

"Where are we going?" he asked, taking note of the fact that they were heading to the other side of the house.

"The garage… That's where Eric and Michael are hiding."

"Hiding? From what?"

"Brooke and probably the kids," Christie laughed and opened the garage door, walking away as Hyde stepped inside. The sight that greeted him was pathetic as hell and he had to grimace at his friends as they rolled around on children's toys.

"What the hell are you guys doing?"

Eric stopped, his mouth falling open. "Oh, man. Your face."

"Whoa," Kelso stopped, too, "Colin really messed you up good, man. You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Hyde stepped inside.

Kelso rammed his Big Wheel into Eric's. "Better not let Brooke see your face like that. She's liable to kill you."

"Yeah. So uh, what the hell are you guys doing in here anyway?" Hyde asked. "Let's go in the basement."

"Can't," Kelso explained dolefully as Eric rammed him back. "The chicks are in there. They're everywhere, man."

"Grab a Big Wheel and close the door," Eric directed him. "They can't know where we are, and we have a deal with Christie. She's not gonna tell."

Hyde closed the door and grabbed the closest Big Wheel. "So what's up with her anyway?" he asked Kelso, sitting down on the back of the small seat like his friends. "Is she living here now or what?"

"Yeah, I guess," Kelso shrugged as he peeled the stickers from a Rubik's Cube. "It's good, though. She's actually a really cool girl, and Brooke thinks she should stay until... you know."

The room fell silent as the subject, by its very nature, decided to change itself.

"So…uh," Hyde cleared his throat. "Why are we hiding from the chicks like a bunch of wusses?"

"Brooke's out of her damn mind, man," Kelso grumbled. "She's freaking out about the wedding and something about her shoe straps and some list, and I don't see what the big deal is and she keeps yelling at me. So now, I live in the garage."

"See, you could have just avoided this by running away like I did," Eric grinned. "They eventually get over it, you know."

"Man, this is your house, Kelso," Hyde argued. "You can't let a bunch of broads run you out of it. You pay for it."

"Hyde. Look at me," Kelso sat forward. "Do I look like I have any control over this place, or anything in my life, at all?"

"Uhhh…No."

"Thank you."

"So how's everything going with you?" Eric asked.

Hyde grinned wide. "Just came from Groove's Headquarters. I got W.B. to agree to sell me the North Milwaukee store," he nodded. "Oh, and I found five bucks on the ground."

"Nice," Kelso smiled. "Lemme see."

Hyde showed Kelso the crumbled bill as Eric frowned.

"You're moving to Milwaukee, man?"

"Yeah," Hyde shoved the money back in his coat pocket. "I figure if I'm gonna try and get Jackie back, it'll be a lot easier from here."

Eric and Kelso looked at each other. "What are you talking about, man?" Kelso laughed. "You took an ass whooping for that chick. You're in like Flynn. Milk it for all it's worth."

"I'm not in like anything, especially not Flynn," Hyde admitted angrily. "That's why I'm here; to find out what the hell's going on with her…I don't know what to do anymore. She's acting all… Jackie-ish. Everything's in God damn code. One minute she wants me and the next, she's acting crazy."

"Yep, just like a chick, and if you don't know the code, you're screwed…Only gay guys know the code." All three shared a look. "And Fez," Kelso added.

Eric rolled himself toward Hyde. "Look, Hyde. Here's the thing, man, that I've been trying to tell you since we were kids," he said just as Hyde began to realize that his best friend was high as shit. "When you love a girl, really love her, man, you have to do what it takes to make sure she knows it, or she'll _stomp_ all over your heart." At that, Kelso nodded and continued to listen along with Hyde. "I know—I mean I don't know _why_—but I know that you must love Jackie, man. Jessica was hot."

"And she gave us free food, dude," Kelso cut in, still working his Rubik's Cube.

Eric nodded and laid his hand on Hyde's shoulder. "And she gave us free food… And you gave all that up for Jackie. So, man, just let her know that and she'll…and she'll come around. I promise." At that, Eric wheeled back to his original spot and pointed at his friend. "You want her," he told him sternly. "You do what you've gotta do to get her. It's part of the code, man! All's fair."

Hyde grimaced. "How much did you guys smoke today?"

"You don't even wanna know, man," Kelso shook his head.

"What the hell!"

Hyde, Kelso and Eric looked over, a little shocked to be busted so quickly.

"This is where you guys have been?" Donna shouted. Beside her, Brooke seethed at her fiancé, until she saw Hyde's face.

"Oh my God," she blurted and brought her hand to her mouth. "My wedding pictures!"

Hyde scrunched his face. "Sorry."

"Are you alright," Donna asked him.

"I'm fine," he said, glancing behind her, waiting for Jackie to emerge. The wedding was in discussion, so she was bound to be within ear shot. "It does hurt a lot, though," he baited. Of course, though, at that, Kelso winked, ever so obviously, making Hyde kick him. "Hurts pretty bad!"

"Ow!"

Her lips stiff, Brooke shook her head at Hyde. "I have your tux in from the tailor. You need to try it on."

"You don't have to have me in the pictures, Brooke. I don't mind."

"You're the best-fucking-man, _Hyde_, and Michael, where is that chart I handed you?" Scared, Kelso pulled a crumbled piece of paper form his pocket and held it out. "Did you even look at it?"

"Not yet."

Brooke narrowed her eyes; her jaw clenched in anger. "I have my cousin landing in two hours, Michael. Three kids running around. An unfinished seating chart to deal with. I can't find my Grandmother's silver earrings. You still need a haircut! And your fucking mother is driving me crazy about something fucking blue!! The least you can do is..."

"Hyde's face should be blue by tomorrow," Kelso offered.

"Michael!"

Donna spun around and grabbed Brooke. "Alright. Calm down. I'll talk to Marie and we'll just…"

Kelso and Eric shared another look. She was getting worse. But Hyde didn't care; he only frowned as the two women talked over by the door. He looked behind them again and couldn't help but notice that Jackie was nowhere in sight. "Where's Jackie?" he asked, searching behind them some more as he stood up.

Donna turned around. "Jackie?"

"Yeah. You know. Brown hair. Big mouth. Like, four feet tall. _Jackie_."

"She's not with you?"

"What?" Hyde grimaced. "Does it look like she's with me?"

"Well… Didn't you take her home last night?"

"What are you talking about?" Hyde turned to Kelso. "You guys took her home. Right?"

"No," Brooke cut in. "_You_ took her home."

"No." Hyde stepped toward the two girls. "I had… stuff I had to do last night, so I left her with you guys at the Formans….I called her work, her house, and no one's there. Are you guys telling me she's not here?"

"Okay, wait." Brooke held out her hands. "Last night, when you left Formans', Jackie left _with_ you, right?"

Hyde pinched his lips together, his affect turning angry. "No," he growled. "I'm telling you, she _didn't_ leave with me. So where is she?"

Donna shook her head. "No. You picked her up and took her downstairs to your old room and then you guys left."

"_I_ left!" Hyde yelled. "Where the fuck is she?" He looked around at bemused faces. "_None_ of you know? Brooke?" He turned to Jackie's best friend and then to her other best friend. "Didn't either of you call her today?"

"No. I've been…" Brooke shook her head ruefully, the realization of Hyde's concern hitting her. "I've had a million things to do. I was… I didn't…"

Hyde shifted his scrutinizing eyes left. "Donna?"

The redhead shrugged fearfully and thought about it. "No. I… I was helping Brooke. I figured Jackie was with you."

"Fuck! Has _anyone_ talked to her since last night?" Incensed, Hyde looked at Kelso and then at Eric. "Fez? Anyone? Or even seen her since I took her downstairs? How the hell did she get home?"

Everyone shook their head and shrugged.

"Shit!" Hyde blew past Donna and Brooke and headed for the front door.

"Hyde!" Brooke yelled out behind him. "Shit!"

* * *

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Six Minutes Later

4:55 p.m.

The mid-fall nights were bearing down on Wisconsin much sooner now. It was just before five o'clock in the evening and the sun had just dipped below the horizon, causing dusk on this, the last day of November.

Slamming the door to the el Camino shut, Hyde looked around Jackie's parking lot, watching as his breath left his mouth. The air had that crisp scent of bitter cold and there was an aroma in the air, burning wood and ice mixed together in the heady brew of an oncoming winter. It was going to be a cold one, he knew, if he didn't get this right. So far, he didn't see Colin's car, but he did see Jackie's and capped his confusion off with a frown. He walked over and pressed his hand to the hood. It was cold and coated in frost, as if it had not moved all day. Hyde looked up at the windows of her apartment. No lights were on.

Anxious to find out what the hell was going on, Hyde made his way up her stairs and to her front door, pulling out the house key she had given him weeks before and shoving it in the doorknob.

"Jackie," Hyde called out and stepped inside. Not getting a response, he made his way toward her bedroom and when the bed breached the door jamb and came into view, he let out a respite breath. Like Jessica had been, Jackie lay crying on her bed, only in the dark.

Hyde walked over, stopping when his knees hit the edge of the bed and poked her in the arm. "Hey."

Her eyes more swollen than his, Jackie looked up and let her mouth fall open, startling him when she climbed to her knees and slapped him hard across his right cheek. "Where were you?!"

Hyde grabbed his face. "What the hell, Jackie? What are you hitting me for?"

Breaking her previous expression, rich with anger and indignation, Jackie burst back into tears. "You jerk! You didn't come for me! Again!" Harder than his face, she slapped his chest. "I've been alone! Crying the whole stupid day, Steven, and do you know how many of my friends called me?! Guess, Steven?" She waited as he stood speechless. "_Guess!_"

"What. None, but I tried…"

"_None_… That's exactly right. None, meaning… _NOT… ONE_."

"I thought you were with Brooke and Donna," he explained, growing irritable as he defended himself. "They thought you were with _me._"

"Yeah, right."

"You know what," he got in her face. "Cut the crap!"

Jackie frowned. "What?"

"You heard me! It's enough with the God damn pity party, Jackie." Hyde sat down, giving her the look a father gives his petulant child, for that she was… tonight anyway. "I'm here _now_. Okay. I came the second I found out no one had seen you since last night. Man, I…" He gestured toward the rest of the world and scoffed. "…ran three freakin' red lights and almost cut down a Salvation Army Santa to get here. For what? To be get slapped?"

Shamefully, Jackie looked up. "You did that?"

Hyde nodded as he watched her wipe her eyes. They studied him, turning softer and sadder with each pass over his features.

"Oh, Steven. Your face." Her chin puckered, Jackie reached out to touch him. "You look terrible."

"Thanks."

"Does it hurt?"

"How did you get home last night?"

"Laurie drove me."

"Oh." Hyde forced in a deep breath. "Look. I'm sorry. I didn't… I thought you were with Brooke. I tried to call."

Jackie nodded and looked down, choking on an abrupt sob. "Colin didn't call me," she announced tearfully. "He didn't even… He hates me, Steven."

Not wanting to, but knowing he had no choice, Hyde pulled her into a hug and let her cry to him about Colin. It hurt like hell, hearing her weep over someone that was not him, but he had done it to himself. He had pushed her away when he had her and practically handed her over to another man. And this, here hugging her sobbing body, was his reminder of that.

A ring of her telephone snapped him out of his reverie and, by instinct, he grabbed the receiver.

Jackie reached out. "Wait, no! What if it's Colin…"

"Hello?" Hyde winced.

"_Hyde?"_

Recognizing the voice as Donna's, Hyde relaxed. "Yeah."

Jackie's eyes widened.

"_Is she there?"_

"Yep," Hyde answered, "and she's pissed and slapping people for no reason."

Jackie frowned.

"_She slapped you?"_

Hyde watched the girl in his lap stare at him intently. "Yep."

"Who is it," Jackie mouthed silently, wiping her palms over her face. "Who?"

"_Well, where the hell has she been? Why is she pissed?"_

"Donna wants to know why you're pissed."

"Ugh." Both relieved and annoyed, Jackie lay back against Hyde and snuggled into a scowl. "Because she's the worst best friend in the history of best friends." She slapped his hand. "Put your arm around me."

"Quit hitting me then," he snapped back and put his arm around her. Hyde turned back to the phone, growing uncomfortable in his current role of catfight go-between. "Because you're the…"

"_Yes. I heard. Let me talk to her." _As Jackie sat motionlessly against him, Hyde placed the phone to her ear and waited

"Okay," Hyde cued Donna. "She's listening."

"_Jackie…"_

"No. Don't talk to me, Donna," the brunette grumbled. "In fact… Don't _ever_ talk to me again. You're a shitty best friend… And… tell Brooke… tell her…"

"_Jackie, I'm sorry, okay," _Donna cut in._ "I really am. I thought you were with Hyde. I would have never left you alo…" _

Jackie pushed the phone from her ear. "God. Just get her away from me, Steven."

Hyde sighed and got on the phone. "I guess she doesn't want to talk."

"_Hyde. I honestly thought she was with you…I would have gone over there…"_Suddenly Brooke came over the line.

"_Hyde. Let me talk to her. Right now."_

Hyde turned his attention to Jackie. "Brooke?" he whispered.

Jackie shook her head.

He rolled his eyes. "She doesn't want to talk."

"_What? But she'll talk to you?"_

"I guess… Look. Why don't you two just back off for a little bit, alright? I've got her. I'm trying to do something here. So just, both of you, stay the fuck out of it… She'll be fine."

Unlike his friends, Hyde wasn't afraid of the scary bride and waited as she breathed in and out like a crank caller on the other end of the line.

"_Fine,"_Brooke finally grumbled. _"But you better not make her cry is all I have to say… I am not even kidding with you, Hyde."_

Hyde raised his eyebrows. "Understood."

"_Fine… Alright. I'll be at the hotel if she wants me. Don't forget: 9 am, the church. I'll have your tux. It better fit!"_

"Yeah, okay. 9am, the church. We'll be there."

Hyde hung up and felt Jackie stir, causing her hair to graze his cheek. "Hey." Hyde tucked his face toward her. She was acting so strangely, but at the moment, she was quiet, so he kissed her forehead and lowered his head further, hoping hers would rise. He hadn't kissed her in weeks and missed the feeling and her taste.

"Ugh!" Jackie shoved him back and jumped off the bed. "I knew it! I knew that's why you were here!"

Hyde watched her storm out of the room and immediately got up to follow. "I can't believe this crap," he growled to himself. "What are you pissed at me for now?" he shouted as he entered the living room.

Jackie turned around. "Why are you here?!"

"Why are you pissed?"

"Why are you here?"

"I don't know!" he shouted in frustration.

"You're supposed to be here, Steven, because you're my friend and you care."

"That_ is_ why I'm here," he replied crossly. "Don't you think that if all I wanted was sex I'd go find someone a little less pig-headed to have it with?!" Jackie had no response for that. "I just wanted to check if you were okay."

"Well I'm not," she informed him bitterly. "I'm far from okay."

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened last night, okay, but it's over. We can just forget about it now."

"Forget about it?" Jackie grimaced. "What are you_ talking _about? Did you hear what he said to me in front of everyone? Did you see your girlfriend slap me with everyone I care about watching? They_ said_ nothing, but I know what they were thinking!" She shook her head. "No one wants me… Donna and Eric are engaged. Brooke and Michael are getting married tomorrow. Fez is talking about proposing to Amy. Laurie's life, Steven—Laurie's!—is the closest to mine, and she's a home wrecking slut, and I realized when we were talking… I'm one, too. I'm a whore, Steven… Jessica was right."

"Oh, come on," Hyde stepped toward her. "You're not a whore. Jessica was just pissed and taking it out on you." Setting his hands just above the curve of Jackie's hips, Hyde secured her eyes on his. "Screw what they all think, okay. Forget about it."

Jackie shook her head. "No… They all know, Steven. They've been there the whole time… _I_ can't get someone to want me. Everyone else is getting married but me. Even _you_ did, and you hate marriage."

The thought of it, of what had really been bothering her all these years, of the humiliation that was hers that a stripper deserved her dream, deserved _his_ commitment, more than she did sank deeper into the middle of her chest, and that hollow feeling returned just in time to save her from crying in front of him. She spent years acting unaffected, acting like her life was fairytale perfect, but after the previous night, she just didn't have the energy anymore to pretend. She was a fraud, she would die alone, and now everyone knew it, including her. In the midst of that thought, she felt her head fall on Hyde's chest and closed her eyes in relief.

"I'm so glad you're here," Jackie sighed, letting him hug her. "I'm sorry I accused you of wanting sex."

"Well I never said I didn't want sex."

Jackie laughed and swatted at his stomach. "Well then you should have showed up with some candy or flowers or someth…" Suddenly, her face fell and she backed away from Hyde with wide eyes. "Oh my God."

"What?"

"My dad…"

* * *

…_October 12, 1984…_

"_Ready… Set… Blow!" Wrapping his lips around the plastic tube, Fez giggled and drew in a deep breath, blowing out as hard as he could and sending a little red, plastic ball high into an adjoining tube. Hyde's smoke followed the ball's upward journey. _

_  
"Get ready!" Kelso yelled. "Ready!"_

"_I am ready!" Hyde shouted. "Shut up!"_

"_Ready!"_

"_Kelso!"_

"_READY!!"_

_The ball rocketed from the top of the tube and in rushed Hyde's hit, deep into his lungs. _

_Everyone gasped and then paused, waiting. _

"_Wait? Did it work" Eric asked with concern. _

"_I don't see the smoke anywhere." Kelso leaned down and studied Hyde, who simply stared back at him strangely. "I think it did. He's not yelling at me to get away from him or hitting me or anything." A mischievous smile grew over Kelso's lips and he poked Hyde between the eyes, earning himself no reaction, only a slight glare. Kelso nodded. "Yeah, it's in there."_

"_Look at him," Fez smiled, amazed. "He's about to burst."_

"_Steven."_

_Growing wide-eyed, all four men, including Hyde, who was full of smoke, looked over. _

_Jessica folded her arms. "What are you doing?"_

"_He's waiting," Fez answered for his friend. "Shhh."_

_Incensed, the blond tossed up her hands at Hyde. "Why can't I just have a normal boyfriend?"_

_Hyde shrugged just as his attention was stolen away by the two people that passed behind his girlfriend, walking hand in hand toward the back patio. They rarely came to these things; in fact, he hadn't seen her since summer. Hyde blew out his smoke. But she looked more beautiful again. Damn it..._

* * *

Oakdale Cemetery  
Kenosha, Wisconsin

5:51 p.m.

Jackie's eyes smiled and moved away from Hyde's, sweeping their way down to the cold grass below, prompting Hyde to toss out the checkered blanket he had been given and lay it to the ground.

"Thank you." Her expression sobering into concern, Jackie knelt and sat down on her calves before presenting her basket of newly-purchased flowers to the headstone in front of her. "I'm really sorry, Daddy. Something came up." She looked up at Hyde and patted the blanket. "Come on, Steven. Sit with me," she insisted, watching as he sat down beside her. "Daddy… You remember, Steven. We used to date."

Hyde was silent, forgetting for a moment what she had asked him to do, until she glowered and made him remember. "Oh…" He straightened up. "Oh, yeah. Hi… uh, Mr. Burkhart. It's nice to see you again," he said, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Thank you." Jackie smiled. "Now I know you don't like Steven very much, Daddy, but I promise you, he's changed. He's not all those names I called him anymore." Dropping to her butt, Jackie sighed and grabbed a flower from his basket. "God, Daddy, I'm having the worst day of my life today. Colin left me. He proposed like I hoped he would. I was a fiancé for seven whole days. But…Well… Steven and I…" Jackie took a deep breath. "We did a really bad thing, Daddy. _Lots_… of really bad things." She turned her head to Hyde. "Should I tell him?"

Hyde looked around the dark cemetery. "I'm thinking 'maybe not."

"I should," she decided anyway and turned sternly to her father's epithet. "We had a torrid affair, Daddy." Hyde rolled his eyes away. "We're still in love and I don't know what to do. Give me a sign or something. Help me." It hadn't been expected. He was mentally prepared for her tearful repent, so those words, that confession, it made him smile. "I'm scared, Daddy." Jackie _was_ near tears, though, and terrified. "I don't want to end up alone… Or, God, like Mom, who I _still_ haven't heard from," she groused as she shook her head in annoyance and looked over at Hyde. "Sit behind me, Steven. It's cold."

Sighing, Hyde crawled behind her and sat down, pulling her between his spread legs. The warmth spread quickly as he wrapped her waist tightly inside his arms and rested his chin on her shoulder, content to just act as mantle. He wasn't sure what they were doing here, but _she_ was and that was good enough for him at the moment. And as they sat in silence, Hyde read her father's marble stone for the first time._ Jack B. Burkhart. 1930 – 1981. Beloved Father_. That was all.

"I'm sorry I didn't come to the funeral," Hyde muttered in her ear, letting it sink in just what a fucking asshole he had been, how pissed he had let himself become at her. It was a miracle he was even allowed to get this close to her. A fucking _miracle_. "I'm really… sorry, Jackie." A tighter squeeze probably wasn't going to stop the sharp quakes that started to shake her torso, but it was worth a shot. The harder he hugged, the more she would know how sorry he was. It was his only thought. "Listen to me…" Hyde placed his lips on her ear. "All that… All that's done, okay? It's not gonna be like that anymore. I promise..."

* * *

… October 12, 1984 …

"_Hey." Hyde poked Jessica in the small of her back, making her turn around. "What's your problem? Why are you mad at me?"_

"_I'm not," the blond replied curtly. "It would just be nice to go to one party where you actually hung out with ME instead of with your friends, getting high and acting like a sixteen year old at his first kegger."_

"_What are you talking about? We're hanging out right now."_

"_We're fighting right now."_

"_You're fighting. I'm drinking my beer." He raised his can with a grin. "See." _

_His response, though, quickly earned him a dirty look and he was actually a little surprised when she walked away, and although he thought the world of her, she was always a complete downer at parties. _

_Shrugging, Hyde turned around and searched out the keg. _

"_I'll just be over here…"_

* * *

7:27 p.m.

The el Camino

Somewhere Just Outside Of Milwaukee

Hyde glanced to his right just in time to witness a brilliant smile come over Jackie's face, appearing in sync with the flickering glow of thousands of white Christmas lights.

"Steven, pull over."

"Why?"

Her desperate hand slapped the door beside her. "Steven!"

"Alright. Alright." He pulled over, and when he hit the brakes, bringing his car to a stop, Jackie swung open the door and flew out, her feet hitting the ground running. "What the hell are you doing?" Hyde threw the gear in park, scowling as he jumped out, too. "Jackie!" He watched her hit a waist-high white picket fence and turn around with animated eyes.

"Buy me a Christmas tree!"

"What?" Hyde shut the car door, holding out his hands as he walked around to where she stood. "What are you doin'?"

Jackie's expression fell into a pout. "I want a Christmas tree."

"Why the… Damn it," Hyde reached into his pockets and searched them before pulling out his wallet to see if there was anything left after their trip to the grocery store. "Crap." Inside it, he found his last twenty dollar bill. "How much are they?"

Jackie turned herself in a complete circle to look and shrugged. "I don't know."

"Jackie…" Hyde walked over. "Come on. Do you really need a Christmas tree_ right_ this second?"

Sure of the need, Jackie nodded. "Yes." Getting close enough to kiss her if he so chose, Hyde let his dissention on the matter cross over his face, but Jackie stepped forward and cuffed her arms around his waist. "Decorating them makes me happy, Steven. Do you remember how happy I got when you would let me dress _you_? Hmm?" Pulling out her ace, Jackie stuck out her bottom lip. "Please."

Taking a deep breath, Hyde frowned, traveling far back in time as he stared into her strategically-wide doe-like eyes. He remembered, so much that he could practically see the energetic smiles that would drive her in circles around his bedroom, searching for bolos and ties and button-up shirts, making him crazy.

"Alright," he agreed, earning himself one of those energetic smiles and a kiss on the cheek. "What, that's it? That's all I get? A lousy kiss on the cheek?"

"No," Jackie drawled tentatively and rose to her tip toes. Her eyes open, holding his open, too, she touched her lips to his and smiled. "Thank you," she whispered and gave him a slow, deep kiss to follow, carelessly buckling and melting like warm putty as she did. It was this little thing, these little moments that were holding him to her. It had been that way all month. A little kiss here. One of his smiles there. The way he always managed to find her lips in the dark. It was that tiny thread between them that would still not break. And she realized that it was _he_ that would not let it. So it would only grow thicker, determined to unravel her perfectly planned life because the next thing she knew, she was buried inside his embrace, feeling so warm. Because of this, there seemed to be a little bit of life left inside her, and maybe some surplus hope.

Maybe.

"Let's hurry," she heard him whisper and felt him drag her earlobe between his teeth, giving her a rolling chill. Cold arrived, and when she opened her eyes, he was gone, her left hand gone with him as they entered McCray's Tree Farm…

* * *

Fifteen Minutes Later

Meant to be. It was an expression Jackie truly believed in. Cross her heart and hope to die, everything with molecules had its 'meant to be' partner, its perfect match. Even trees, she convinced herself as she strolled a perfectly-carved aisle lined with a hundred Christmas greens.

There was one in here made just for her. She was born believing that.

"Jackie, just pick one so we can go."

Jackie turned around and tossed her could-be boyfriend a wayward glance. "This is not something that can be rushed, Steven." She continued to meander through the veritable maze of trees while Hyde simply rolled his eyes and followed. "Choosing a Christmas tree is almost as important as choosing a mate. It's a very delicate process."

Behind her, Hyde pinched his lips in irritation. "Well maybe you just use the same criteria you used to choose Kelso then: tall, skinny and always cheating on you."

Jackie feigned an amused laugh. "You're so funny, Steven… How about I just use all those attributes I found special in you," she smiled. "Mute, prickly, and _begging to be kicked_."

Hyde grinned. "Ah, but you liked that I was prickly."

Jackie opened her mouth, but wisely changed her mind. "Whatever." As she flipped her hair snobbishly and turned her head, fate struck her puffy eyes and released a gasp. "That's it," Jackie yelled out happily and ran toward a majestically well-endowed Balsam Fur. "My Christmas tree!" Inspecting its branches, Jackie squealed and clapped. "Oh my God. It's perfect!"

"It's also thirty-five dollars," Hyde added dourly, checking its tag. "You can't have it."

"Steven." Jackie folded her arms. "If you really love me, you'll _find_ a way for me to have it."

Hyde grimaced. "What the hell are saying? If I don't produce thirty-five dollars out of the fucking air, I must not care about you?"

Unapologetic, and being a little unfair, she knew, Jackie nodded. "Yes." Hyde raised his eyebrows, seemingly unfazed by her ludicrous demand. "Oh, come on, Steven," she pouted, making her best attempt to tempt and placate him at the same time. "You steal stuff all the time, and you _know_ how hot it gets me when you do bad things for me."

Hyde nodded and shifted his feet. "Yeah, but see I ate a big lunch so I doubt that _that_ tree is going to fit in _these_ jeans," he grinned. "Sorry."

Narrowing her eyes, Jackie dropped her act and began to mope back toward her tree. "Forget it."

"Just pick another tree…What about this one?" Hyde asked, pointing to a smaller tree to her right. "It's green. It has branches."

Jackie looked over, letting her foul mood build as she frowned and gave Hyde a haughty look.

"_That_ one," she scoffed pompously. "Hello. It's leaning over like _you_ at one of Fez's parties."

"Aw, come on," he argued and made a move for his pick, looking it over. "It's not that bad, Jackie… It may not be as nice as that one but…"

"Steven," Jackie laughed at his naiveté. From birth, he had been a simpleton. He couldn't help it. It was his stupid mother's fault. "_This_ one is perfect," she explained, gesturing to the admirable tree to her left. "Yours," she continued, tossing her hand at the pathetic one in Hyde's hand, "is pitiful. It's for poor people. It's crooked, it's not very tall and, look, it's missing branches!" The brunette shook her head. "Trust me, Steven. No one wants that tree."

"Well someone has to take it," Hyde contended, looking at the pitiable choice that was growing on him. "If we don't take it, no one will. It'll just get thrown away."

"Good!" Jackie announced. "It's unsightly and scrawny… Maybe Donna will want it."

"Yeah, well," Hyde checked its price tag. "It's also twenty bucks." In an attempt to make her understand, he pulled out his wallet and showed her, first hand, the budget, and, apparently, the worth of his love. "It's all I have right now, Jackie… Do you have any money on you?"

"Well… No," Jackie answered sadly and reverted back to a slight pout. "God, there has to be something else for twenty dollars." Nearby, she noticed an employee. "Excuse me," she smiled, putting her best 'upstanding customer' face on. "Hi. I'm Jackie and I am looking for the _perfect_ Christmas tree. You know, tall, really thick and green with nice, soft needles, and I have twenty dollars to spend. Could you just point me in the right direction? Thanks."

"Yeah, sure," the man responded listlessly and pointed behind her. "That guy's got it."

Jackie turned around to see Hyde grin and wave, his dismal twenty dollar tree in hand. She returned to the man, whose name, according to his name tag, was Earl. "Wait, no. But I don't like that tree. It's shabby. It's all wrong."

"Yeah, well, it's all I got for twenty dollars, sweetheart."

Hyde tipped his head to Earl. "I'll give you eighteen. You throw in a stand and some rope."

"Done."

Jackie frowned in confusion. "Wait. No." Her head moved from man to man as the two made the exchange. "What? But I don't want that tree," she complained and watched Earl walk away. "Hey! Earl! You get back here right now! We don't want this tree! I want that other one! It's perfect!"

"I can't afford the other one, Jackie," Hyde snapped at her and handed her the stand and rope that Earl had given him. "Look, if you wanna come back next weekend, I'll get you the better tree. I just… I can't right now."

Her jaw clenching, Jackie shook her head. "You know what. Forget it. It's fine." Taking her new stand and pile of rope with her, she headed for the parking lot. "I'll be in the car."

Realizing the level of her disappointment, Hyde slouched. "Jackie. Come on." But she kept walking and, as she did, it hit him that he had screwed up again. All she wanted was her perfect Christmas tree and he couldn't even give her that. He had, once again, come up short.

Hyde threw down his receipt and followed her. "Shit…"

* * *

Jackie's Apartment

Fifteen Minutes Later

8:02 p.m.

Why did she always have dreams of flying? She was terrified of extreme heights, and she hated clouds. One would assume, by the way people talked anyway, that flying was beautiful or somehow special, but she always woke up as if she'd had a nightmare: shaking and dewy and needing a glass of water. Maybe because she was born, and would die, always wanting, never able to find, or land, destined to fly forever.

"Jackie."

Her sadness genuine this time, Jackie looked up and adjusted the two brown grocery bags in her arms. "What?"

Hyde's face blanched from guilt. "Crap," he muttered and let the tree go slack in his hand. "I'll take it back."

"No," Jackie shook her head. "No…That tree that I wanted, it… It belongs with a family." As her eyes welled up with tears, Jackie let out a smile. "You know, some little kid, shaking his parents and trying to get them out of bed to open the presents, coming down the stairs to that…perfect tree." She nodded. "It belongs with them."

Near shock washed over Hyde's face, the depth of her tantrum had missed him entirely. "God damn it." Hyde turned around and went for the front door. "I'll go find some money."

"No," she stopped him. "Please don't leave…_This_ is my tree, and… I wanna decorate it."

"You don't want it, Jackie."

"No, I do now," Jackie explained with a shrug. "You were right. If we don't take it, no one will. Plus, let's face it," she scoffed happily. "I make_ everything_ pretty…Can you set it up for me while I change?"

Hyde blew out a loud, frustrated breath. "Yeah."

Feeling ill suddenly, Jackie ignored the distressed expression that would not leave Hyde's battered face and walked into her room to sit down on her bed. There, she struggled to keep her tears at bay. She was just so tired, and the air around her felt thick, like in a bad dream, one she could not rouse herself from. The whole month, it felt like a nightmare, or a forgotten, nightmarish past desperately trying to save itself before it disappeared entirely. And in between the madness, he made it tolerable, but if she stayed here in this dream, and he disappeared… Jackie looked at her ceiling… God, she didn't even want to think about it…

* * *

Jackie's Living Room

Ten Minutes Later

"God damn it!"

Jackie cocked her head to the side, curious at the way his legs kicked like a child in mid tantrum, his upper torso camouflaged by tree.

"Fuck!"

"Steven?"

"What?!"

"What's wrong?"

"This damn stand is broken," he grumbled. "Two of the legs are shorter than the others. I should go back and kick Earl's ass!"

"Is the tree in?"

"Yeah… But I'm gonna have to shave the tree trunk down, otherwise it'll be crooked."

"But it's perfect," Jackie said in awe. "Look at it."

"What?" Hyde crawled out from under Jackie's new Christmas tree and stood beside her in the lamplight, frowning curiously. "Huh… It's straight."

Jackie nodded. "It was crooked at the place… But here it's straight."

"It's 'cause that piece of shit stand is crooked, too," he explained and looked over at her, dressed in a pink satin robe. "You look nice."

Jackie smiled. "Thank you."

He looked her up and down once more and swallowed down any more words that might slip out, turning as he made the decision that walking away would be best. "I'm gonna go make dinner…"

* * *

Thirty Minutes Later

The visual music of twinkling Christmas lights brought on a smile that Jackie could feel everywhere. She could crash and die right here and enter the next life gratified, because for the span of a dozen heartbeats, the child inside her forgot about the ills that plagued adulthood, the bad dream, the confusion, everything, and she just smiled at colored Christmas lights in the dark. In her kitchen, a man who loved her cursed at boiled water and stomped around with a mission… trying.

"Steven."

"_Yeah?"_

"Look."

A second later, Hyde turned the corner and stopped, offering a nod. "It looks good."

Jackie smiled. "It does, doesn't it?" she said, smiling proudly at her creation. "I think I'm gonna go take a shower now."

"Yeah. Okay," he responded and watched her go, his eyes drifting toward her Christmas tree once she shut the bathroom door. It did look good…

* * *

9:21 p.m.

Letting the steam of her bath envelop her, Jackie ran her hands down her calves and tucked her body into a ball. Like a girl exhausted, she brought her cheek to her knees, closing her eyes just as the bathroom door opened and invited in a breeze.

"Close the door," Jackie's raspy voice let out as she raised her head, unable to see him through the dark purple curtain. "It's cold." She heard Hyde shut it and frowned, curious if he was still in the room. "Steven?"

"_Yeah."_

"Oh." She put her head back down.

"_What are you doing?"_

"Getting myself ready for the wedding," she responded and dragged her hands over the smooth skin of her legs. "I won't be long. I just need to exfoliate." Hearing a sound, she sat up. "You can't come in here."

"_I wasn't going to."_

"Oh… Well good."

"What are you doing?"

"_Dinner's ready,"_ he announced flatly_. "But take your time. I'm making you something extra anyway."_

"You're making me something extra?" Jackie frowned. "What?"

"_It's a surprise."_

Jackie beamed. "I love surprises!"

"_Yeah, I know."_

"Steven."

"_Yeah."_

"Did you sleep with her?" Jackie asked, knowing the answer as she dipped her finger in her bath water, hoping she was wrong. "Jessica. After I told you about Colin."

"_Yeah,"_ he admitted_. "Once."_ Jackie closed her eyes and forced the masochistic images that wanted to enter her mind. They were pointless. Outside of the tub, she heard him breathing. _"Shit,"_ she heard him whisper to himself.

"No. It's okay, Steven… I slept with him, too. A couple times."

She heard him blow out an angry huff. _"I'll be in the kitchen."_

"Steven."

"_What?"_

"Did you feel anything?"

"_What?"_

"Well. I know that… men, when they sleep with women, they don't have to care about her. They just… I was just curious if you felt anything… with Jessica."

"_I felt drunk, Jackie. And guilty. I felt like shit if you wanna know."_

"Well… what do you feel when you're with me?" she asked gingerly, disregarding the resentment in his voice.

"_My chicken's gonna burn."_

Jackie flinched as the door shut, a little harder than usual, and closed her eyes. He was impossible. _This_, it was impossible. He was losing her by the minute and he didn't even seem to care, or he was just that stupid and didn't know. But then the door opened and she felt the breeze come in again.

"_My stomach… feels like someone's twisting it in a knot and… my chest feels like there's a hundred pound cement block in it."_ She heard him suck in a deep breath. _"That's how it feels… with you,"_ he said and left again, shutting the door behind him.

Straightening her legs out in front of herself, Jackie smiled. She hadn't meant it that literally, but, his description, it would definitely, definitely do…

* * *

…_October 12, 1984…_

_After quickly checking the crowd for Jessica and Colin, Hyde stepped up and came to a stop next to his ex-girlfriend. "Jackie," he greeted her flatly._

_Sifting through records, Jackie didn't bother to look up. "Hyde."_

"_So uh, what's up with your hair?" he pointed._

_Jackie turned her head at him. "Excuse me?"_

"_You look like that troll." The whites of his eyes were now stringed beet red and half shut from his circle exploits. "Remember?" Nudging her arm with his elbow, he gave her a flirtatious smile. "The one you gave me in my lunch."_

"_No." Her face remained still as she turned her body toward his and folded her arms. "I don't remember, but thank you for that, Hyde. You always know exactly what bonehead remark to make to remind me how glad I am I'm not your girlfriend."_

_Hyde raised his eyebrows lackadaisically. "I'm just saying…'cause it's sticking up in the front, you know, like the troll's…It's not green, though, like that time…" He smiled, amused at a memory floating around in his head. "That time Fez put green hair dye in your shampoo." Chuckling, himself, Hyde watched Jackie narrow her eyes at him. "What? I'm just saying," he added, surprised when she raised her hand and dipped it in into his chest pocket, pulling out his last joint before she gave him a bright smile. _

"_Oh my God! You remember that one time I kicked you in your scrawny shin," she said and drove the toe of her boot into his leg before walking away, leaving Hyde doubled over. His grimace turned into a smile, however, as he straightened up. He remembered…_

* * *

Jackie's Bedroom

9:55 p.m.

Her second favorite show, Falcon Crest, churning in the background, Jackie grabbed Hyde's knight and stuck out her tongue. "Ha! I got your knight!" she cried out and laughed gloatingly, letting her half-chewed chicken show as she pointed. "You're gonna lose!"

Hyde grimaced. "That's disgusting."

She did it again and laughed. From her spot on the floor, he looked like a child, sitting with his legs spread and straddling a chess board. He was so serious when it was his move and she couldn't help but find him adorable. She got caught staring, though, and Hyde looked up and opened his mouth in defiance, making Jackie laugh again.

"Ew," she giggled. "What is that? Potato?"

"Yep."

"Steven?" she called as her laughter died down. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

"When we broke up, we had a game going. Do you remember?" As if the question were one of mere casual talk, Hyde simply nodded and bit a chunk off his dinner roll while studying the chessboard. "So...What did you do with it?" she continued. "Did you finish the game with Sam?"

Hyde started to laugh and looked up. "Are you serious? That chick could barely tie her own shoes." He looked back down, chuckling still as he moved his piece. "I put it all back in the box. It's in a closet somewhere."

Jackie smiled to herself as a tiny, little warm fuzzy coated her heart. It was one less thing to feel sad about. "Oh," she replied with what sounded like indifference. "It doesn't matter. I was just wondering." She peeked up, though, and smiled. It was too bad she hadn't had the guts to ask when it would have made all the difference. "Steven?"

"Yeah." Hyde looked up and Jackie nearly froze.

"Um, do you remember that time I came over and got my uniform back. You said that you threw everything of mine away but you kept..."

"Yeah..." Appearing a little embarrassed, Hyde pinched his lips together and lowered his eyes to her fingers. "About that...I lied." He made both eyebrows rise for the occasion. "I didn't throw anything away."

Jackie tilted her head in surprise. "What?"

"Yeah," he admitted plainly and drew in a breath. "I even still have that um," She wasn't sure if it was purposeful or just another strategy, but Hyde kept his eyes on the board and made phantom moves as he spoke.. "...that necklace with the brown butterfly. Jessica found it once. I said it was Mrs. Forman's."

Jackie curled her bottom lip inside her mouth. Her gaze swimming through the thick silence to reach him, she retrieved for herself the last of a few misplaced memories. Sweaters and pictures and, yeah—she smiled—a little brown butterfly necklace, long ago left behind.

Jackie smiled. He had kept them.

After worrying her bottom lip, Jackie crawled behind him and reached into her closet, grabbing hold of the box at the inside corner. She pulled it toward herself and threw Hyde a shy smile. "I kept some things, too..."

* * *

Fifteen Minutes Later

Setting a stack of pictures down, Hyde smiled gratifyingly; beyond pleased when Jackie winked, giggled, and raised a very thin, faded black t-shirt.

"Oh, man!" He took it into his hands. "I figured you'd burned this or performed some kind of ex-girlfriend voodoo on it."

"Oh, I did," Jackie sneered. "The curse just didn't take like I'd hoped."

Hyde shook his head, still amazed as he peeled his sweatshirt off and pulled what had once been his favorite shirt over his head and down his chest. "Still fits," he announced with a smile.

Jackie smiled back wearily. "You can have it back if you want."

"Yeah?" Hyde admired it.

Jackie nodded. "Mm-hm."

"Or_you_ could keep it," he suggested and gave her a look that told her she should.

"Yeah?"

"It's yours." Hyde pulled it off again and handed it back to her. "Got it outside a Zeppelin concert," he explained without provocation as she folded his shirt back up and set it in her lap. "We couldn't get in. Our tickets were phony. I'm sure Kelso told you."

Jackie shook her head. "No."

"Yeah…" It was a strange moment. A commercial took longer than usual to begin and the room turned silent, as did Jackie and Hyde. Just enough time to look at each other and feel a shudder.

"I have…" "What else…" they both spoke in unison.

"Go ahead," Jackie smiled.

"You go ahead."

"Okay," she agreed quickly and reached back into the box. "Do you remember this?" Slightly embarrassed but completely confident that the answer was in her favor, she pulled out and presented her cheerleading top. Her heart plummeted into her belly as his face similarly fell. "Oh…" Suddenly terrified, Jackie scattered to put it back. "Never mind."

Hyde frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Putting it away."

"Why?"

"I th…I just thought…Never mind."

Leaning forward, Hyde found the top and the skirt beneath it and took them out with a smile. "Man, if this outfit had eyes…" he grinned, looking it over. "I'm pretty sure it would be happy to see me." His eyebrows shot up excitedly. "Put it on."

Jackie laughed. "No way, you pig. I know what you're thinking."

"Come on," he pressed. "I put on the t-shirt."

"We didn't use to have sex when you put on the t-shirt."

"Untrue." The look in his eyes told Jackie to think back. Crinkling her forehead, she picked out a single memory. His room. The shirt. Her red panties with the sparkly heart. "Fine." She snatched the outfit from his hands. "Look away."

His triumphant expression holding, Hyde sat and watched anyway. "Okay." He moved not a muscle, optical included, as she smiled and pulled off her sweater, revealing a black, silk camisole, and wiggled into her cheerleading top. She blushed at the sight of his eyes falling toward her breasts and rising again.

"It fits," she announced, getting to her feet. She hadn't tried it on in years but as she peeled her jeans off and slipped on the skirt, she realized that not much had changed, at least physically.

With a mesmerized gaze, Hyde watched her prance around and turn, showing him his favorite part the uniform: the back. "Nice," he grinned as she sat on her knees in front of him. It only took a moment for the two of them to realize that he was shirtless and she was wearing the outfit that typically called for a seventy-five percent chance of sex.

"Well, this is different."

Jackie gulped. "Yeah. I'll change."

"No." Hyde shook his head. "I like it."

"You do?"

"Hell yeah," he frowned like she was crazy for asking. "It's hot."

Shooting him a flirtatious glance, Jackie smiled and cocked her head to the side. "Okay then." As she looked at him, though, the bruised skin around his eyes turning a strange shade of blue, something occurred to her. "You know, if Brooke sees your face, she's going to kill you."

"Too late."

"Was she mad?"

"Uh, yeah. She was pretty pissed. Something about the wedding pictures."

"Shit." Jackie huffed. "Yeah, well if I show up looking like _this_," she pointed to her bloodshot, puffy eyes, "she'll have a fit. I looked stoned!"

"You_are_ stoned, Jackie."

"Whatever, Steven," Jackie sang and stood up, grabbing his hand. "Get up. _We_ are the Best Man and Maid of Honor; _WE_ are the Godparents! We cannot show up to this wedding looking like your family!" Jackie gasped as Hyde stood. "Or worse. We _cannot_ show up looking shoddier than _Eric_ and _Donna_. I'll just leave…"

* * *

…_October 12, 1984 …_

_It wasn't until midnight, as the party neared its climax, that Hyde found Jackie alone again and sat down a few feet from where she sat. "Why'd you kick me?"_

"_Because you deserved it."_

_Hyde turned his head forward and nodded as they both sat. "You're not gonna give me my joint back, are you?"_

"_Nope." Jackie stood up and gave him a gentler look than she had allowed him in what felt like decades. "I have a feeling you've had enough tonight, Steven." _

_Stunned by the sound of his own name, Hyde simply watched her walk away and, for the first time, in a long time, felt a familiar, but long forgotten, pang. He didn't want her to leave. The THC in his system, the drug that typically suspended his body with euphoria and a warm, fuzzy feeling that wanted to spread, was taking over. "Jackie."_

_Jackie turned around. "Yeah?"_

"_Nothing…"_

* * *

10:40 p.m.

Trapped like a fool behind the once-chilled veil of two cucumber slices, Hyde heard a giggle and smiled as a joint was slipped between his lips. He could smell the aroma of her hair and feel the brief teases of her soft skin on his chest and arms. She obviously—simply by the fact that he was here, shirtless and in her bed—felt something for him, but it was making him crazy wondering what. He'd been patient, listened to her go on and on about Colin, bent to her every spoiled wish, and held his tongue, and still, he was no better off than when he had been rejected by her the night before. She was going to burn him, and, filled with kindling for her, he was going to go up in flames; he just fucking knew it.

Above him, Jackie laughed and tapped his nose. "I should get my camera."

"You do and I'll tell everyone you like it best _doggy style_."

Jackie gasped. "That's private."

"So is this."

"Fine," she grumbled and lit his joint, trying her best to see through the cold compress mask that was currently strapped to her head.

Hyde took his hit and held the joint out for her to take. "When are you gonna take this crap off," he asked, referring to the blue, homemade "vitamin mud mask" that coated his face.

"You're supposed to wear it for thirty minutes and..." Jackie took the joint and looked at the clock, "Oh! Time's up."

Unable to see, Hyde could only feel her body move above his, reaching for something it felt like, and so, with a slight grin, he slipped his hands up her cheerleading skirt and squeezed the thickest parts of her flesh he could find. He would play stupid if she got pissed.

"Steven."

"Yeah?" he answered, waiting to be scolded, and heard a subtle whimper of sound in her breath as he squeezed again and rocked her over his groin. Shit, she liked it.

"Sit up," he heard and felt the cucumber slices leave his eyes.

Hyde opened them and blinked a few times, letting her image come into focus. "You look like Zorro," he smirked. "It's kinda hot."

Jackie laughed. "Just let go of my ass and sit up please." Hyde did, as Jackie stayed saddled to his lap, a steaming, wet cloth in her hand. "Close your eyes." Hyde closed them and felt a hot rush of pleasure surge through his veins as the cloth made contact with his skin. At the age of, say, sixteen, he would have never guessed that a clothed girl and a warm washcloth to his face could feel so good. But being taken care of, being warm in a clean, good-smelling, soft place, her weight on his lap, her hair touching the corner of his shoulder, he wanted it, wanted this, for as long as he could get it. He wasn't going to complain _anymore._

When his face felt clean, the washcloth moved down his neck and across his collarbone, making Hyde groan. "Oh, man."

"Feel good?" Her voice sounded small and shaky.

"Yeah." Hyde finally opened his eyes and saw hers, red again and coated in tears. "What's wrong?"

Throwing down the cloth, Jackie whipped off her mask and wiped her eyes. "God! My eyes are gonna be puffy forever if I don't stop crying like a baby!" She continued to wipe her face. "I shouldn't be crying. This is _my_ fault!" Looking at Hyde, Jackie could see that he was flabbergasted and had no idea how to respond to her, afraid as usual to say the wrong thing, but his face...He looked near-new. "It worked," she smiled sadly and sniffled, touching her finger to his cheek. "It's not swollen anymore, and the bruises look a lot better."

"Thanks," Hyde frowned.

Jackie watched him swallow and close his mouth, but his lips parted again to let a breath through, and the corner of one side twitched, drawing her attention to a dimple that formed the moment he fidgeted. A couple inches below, his smooth neck streamed down to his shoulder, muscular and a little wet still from her cloth. Following her downward path, Jackie lowered her eyes to his chest and touched her palms to the skin at the apex of his ribcage and let them slide to his navel. "I'm wrong, aren't I?"

Hyde exhaled slowly, his eyes, too, on her hands. "What do you mean?"

"I want you to make me feel better, Steven," she admitted repentantly, tracing her fingers down to his belt buckle. "I wanna feel your mouth on me."

Hyde frowned, still watching. "It's not wrong."

"It is," she assured him, two alligator teardrops falling from her eyes and landing on her wrists. "But I don't care... I had plans, Steven, and now I feel alone. So just make me feel better, okay? Make me stop crying, for...as long as you can." Her stifled crying grew worse. "I just don't wanna feel alone anymore today." Jackie looked up, her gaze pleading.

Hyde nodded. "Okay," he whispered, his hands immediately moving to the bottom seam of her top. He pushed it up as she reached for the ceiling and pulled it over her head, doing the same with her camisole until she was bare from the waist up, same as him. In the middle of her bedroom, and with permission to have any piece of her he wanted, Hyde leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her torso, closing her in his arms tight. Bringing his mouth to her shoulder, a deep inhale marked the moment he felt the soft, warm skin of her chest press in against his.

Wrapped cozily inside his arms, Jackie laid her cheek on his shoulder, feeling better already. He was holding her so close to him, blanketing her with warmth and massaging her flesh with his hands. She wasn't alone. Sad, maybe, depressed, angry at herself, yes, but not alone, because, on this night, she could feel the love in his embrace. She had spent years begging and wishing for it and it took all this to finally get it, every last morsel of her energy and the fall of her only remaining dream. She was to be married to a man who wanted to create for her that dream, who thought she was worthy of the effort, and now that was over. Now, tears reminded her that she had no idea if she would live her entire life regretting the month, the brief window, in which she had given away her destiny. Only time would tell. For now, she closed her eyes and cried on Hyde's shoulder. "Oh my Go-God!"

The moment she started, though, Hyde frantically began to kiss the shoulder closest to his lips. Jackie couldn't see but she could feel the hot, wet touches of his mouth on her skin, and, immediately, as pleasure coated her sadness, she began to feel better again. She had to let go for a moment; she knew that, or she would crumble and die, and so she closed her eyes and let him try and save her with kisses and licks and tender little bites. The breath that escaped his nose was tickling her skin, though, and, eventually, she had to smile. The feeling that that smile brought with it stung at her nose, but it was a good sting. It felt like life returning.

"Oh, God." Inhaling deeply, Jackie hugged his head and let hers fall back in rapture as his arms pulled her in. "Don't stop." Every one of his kisses sent a rush of adrenaline through her heart, endorphins followed into her brain and soon, only Hyde occupied her mind. His arms and lips and tongue and hands. They were the universe as he lowered her to her back and continued to labor over her body.

Jackie giggled as his breath tickled her side and looked down as he looked up. With an amorous smile, she slipped her fingers into his hair. "Did you miss me?"

"Did_you_ miss _me_?"

"Mmm," she nodded quickly. "Lots."

Hyde smiled and rose to meet her lips.

Satisfied that his kiss answered her question, that he had missed her, too, Jackie spread her legs further and let his weight settle over and hug her. Gently, she touched her palms to his cheeks, happy as his tongue played with hers. This was near heaven, and in this moment, it was all she needed: smiles and hugs and laughs sparked by a nibble or an unmerciful tickle by an unrelenting man. From her place on this pillow, looking up at his face, her hair spread around her head, neck and shoulders exposed to the cool air, Jackie smiled and swept her hands down his cheeks. She had been right on Halloween night; he was the same boy she fell in love with in Eric Forman's basement, just older and a little thicker. And God, still right here with her.

"Make love to me, Steven," Jackie whispered as their lips met again and their bodies, now both fully nude, rubbed against each other above the covers.

Complying, Hyde slid a hand down her body and slipped a finger inside of her, groaning into her mouth when it was enveloped by wet, sticky heat. She was ready, and unable to wait any longer, she wrapped her small hand around his shaft and brought it to her entrance, letting him slide slowly inside.

"God, Jackie" He groaned into her mouth as he pushed inside of her, stopping when he was completely sheathed within her. The look on Jackie's face was one of pure ecstasy, mouth open in a silent gasp, eyes closed tightly, cheeks flushed with her desire, but when he made his first full thrust inside of her, her eyes snapped open and she bucked against him with everything she had. Low moans became louder and turned into shouts and screams as they thrust into each other; sweat beading on both of their bodies made them slick as they writhed together in pleasure.

Make her feel better. Make her feel like she's not alone. Because she wasn't. She was with him. And from the time he had noticed her,_really_ noticed her, on the hood of her Daddy's Lincoln, no matter how much he thought he hated her, she was still the thing that he compared all others against. And nothing, not in two years, nor five, nor ten, he imagined, could fucking beat her. With those thoughts, Hyde made love to her, making sure that, for as long he could manage, there would be no more pain, and she would not be alone. Not anymore and not ever again...

* * *

…_October 12, 1984…_

"_Hey. Do you have a lighter?"_

_Hyde looked up, recognizing the accent. "Yeah…Yeah…" He reached into his pocket and pulled one out. _

_At the same time, Colin pulled a joint from his pocket and smiled drunkenly. "Wanna smoke it with me?"_

"_Uh…" Hyde sat up, his face brightening at the sight of it. "Sure. Where'd you get it?"_

_Colin shrugged. "I don't know. Jackie gave it to me. Kelso probably gave it to her."_

_Hyde grinned. "Well, then. Spark it up…"_

* * *

11:37 p.m.

The dull glow of her small TV silhouetting her shape, Jackie pulled a nightgown over her head and slipped it down her body, watching curiously as Hyde watched her from the bed. Dressed only in his boxers, he lay with his arms folded comfortably behind his head, and the thick band of muscle that was cabled from his elbow to his armpit moved as he stretched and smiled. A satisfied growl rumbled in his throat and his chest expanded, his display conceiving an off-putting thought inside Jackie. He was completely happy. Content. Why the hell wasn't _she_ then, she wondered. Something was, not wrong, but, hazy, and resisting the image in front of her.

Slowly, Jackie stepped around the foot of her bed while Hyde's eyes followed. He was wide awake. Alert. She, though, felt like she was dreaming, screaming and struggling to wake up as he simply smiled like a clam from the waking world, oblivious.

Jackie frowned inquiringly. "You look too comfortable."

Hyde blinked.

"I hope you don't think you're staying the night," she added, fishing for a response.

It was at that, finally, that his grin fell, turning upside down as he sat up. "What, I can't?"

"Well it's not like you're my boyfriend, Steven, or my fiancé, or my husband. You didn't even ask. This is _my_ house, remember._ I_ make the decisions. Not you."

Hyde's eyebrows furrowed at her strangely as he looked her over and repositioned himself on the bed. "Okay…" Hyde looked around, wondering what had changed her mood so suddenly. Twenty minutes before, she was clinging to him, attacking his lips with hers and begging for more of him, "deeper" and "harder", and now this. "Can I stay the night?"

Huffing, Jackie folded her arms and looked away mercifully before she could unleash another callous tirade on him. The look on his face was guilt-inducing, and she hated that. _He_ was supposed to feel guilty, forever and ever. Not her. But foolishly, she set her eyes on him again, sitting, staring at his knees, confused, and felt a thick goopy coat of shame swathe her heart. The newest part of her, the hard-bitten woman, wanted to yell at him, to tell him he was too late, but she couldn't find the words or reason. But another part of, with a soft spot for him, for that scowling orphan face, wanted to swaddle him with the love they had just made. And there lay her conflict. One side wanted, and trusted and found beauty in him; the other wanted to blame him for the way she had been feeling all month. She was supposed to be impervious, and her life was supposed to be perfect, and _he_ always ruined that! He was the anti-perfect and she wanted every bit of him. What the fuck did that say about _her_?

Jackie sat down and threw up her hand. "I'm not some slut, Steven; we can't just…" Hyde looked over as she frowned suddenly in terror, her train of thought derailed. "Oh God," she murmured. "I'm worse than a slut… I'm a cow."

Hyde grimaced at her. "What?"

"I'm a cow and I'm giving all my milk away," Jackie whimpered tearfully, still deep in thought. "And the one man who actually wanted to pay for it…" As a momentary glimpse of clarity hit, a glance into the waking light, Jackie froze and raised her eyes to Hyde's face. "Oh God," she whispered. "Why did I do that, Steven?" Her shoulders sinking, Jackie slapped her hand to her mouth, while, beside her, Hyde panicked, unsure of what to do anymore. It was going to take more than sex. More than comfort. She was broken. "What's wrong with me?"

"Jackie. Come on; don't cry," Hyde uttered quietly, watching, between the television flickers, as a somber wave of thoughts assailed her. "Your eyes are gonna get all red and puffy again." He watched near agony wash over her face, making his own expression fall. Shit.

Jackie blinked her tears away. "So, what are you saying? Don't get all puffy, 'cause I won't be pretty anymore?"

"What? No."

"What happens if…if I get into a car accident, or something, and I'm not beautiful anymore, Steven?" Jackie nodded, finding a reason, finally, to stop crying: anger. "What then? Huh? You're gonna run off and find someone else?"

"What the hell are you talking about? Why are you acting like this?" Hyde waited as her eyes danced back and forth between his. Desperation fueled them. She was searching. "Wait." He pointed at her accusingly. "Is that what all this crap is about? You still think I'm gonna ditch you for someone else?" Jackie was silent, stewing in her anger, glaring at him beneath a deeply furrowed brow. "Jackie…"

"Everyone thinks I'm an idiot," she cut in. "Because of _you_. You made a fool out of me, Steven! Marrying that trash. That was embarrassing! And what do I do? I give up a near perfect man the second you…" Jackie jabbed her index finger into her chest. "_I'm_ Jackie Burkhart! I'm not supposed to be second choice!"

"You're not sec…"

"And I had a chance," Jackie added desperately. "Someone who believed that I deserved more than _this_ wanted me… forever! And I couldn't get over _you _long enough to let him have me!" She shook her head. "Everyone must think I'm so stupid."

Hyde thought about it. "Maybe," he admitted, raising an eyebrow, knowing her, knowing that she was far from it. Stupid, that is. She had to know that she was not second choice, but she also knew how to make him feel like he was. "I won't let you look stupid again, okay," he told her with promise in his eyes. "Whatever happens with us…I'll take the heat." At that, he waited, and waited, but that look in her eyes as she shook her head, telling him no, shutting him down once again, it was the last one he could stand, and he stood up, having had enough. "Fuck."

Jackie threw up her arms. "Well, where are _you_ going?"

"Just tell me to leave, Jackie," Hyde replied, turning around. "So I can get the hell outta here. I'm not gonna do this all night. I'm trying, and…I get it, okay? You want _him_…He's perfect, and good-looking, and throwing around diamond fucking rings and… I'm your dream crusher…I get it!" he shouted. "Just tell me to go, so I can get the fuck out of here already!"

Jackie just stared at him through a few breaths. "Okay," she finally responded.

Hyde stood and watched her lips, waiting for the word he'd spitefully handed her, but her mouth stayed closed until he sighed. "Okay?"

Jackie sat back on the bed. "I said okay."

"Okay,_what_."

"Okay, you can stay the night, you big baby." Jackie slipped her legs beneath the covers and inhaled deeply. "But showers before bed every night and no sleeping in your jeans. And I don't cook, so you're gonna have to just deal with it, and every Friday night I watch Dynasty and Falcon Crest, in that order, and you have to watch with me because I need someone to talk to about them afterwards and…"

Hyde began to smile, not really listening to her extensive list of cohabitation rules, but rather, watching her give them instead. They sounded vaguely familiar anyway, but that didn't matter because what they meant by their very existence was that she was giving it another try. It had worked. It may have been an underhanded move, he may have broken some code somewhere, but, fuck, it had _worked_. And like Forman said, he loved her, and he wanted her, and, in his last minutes, it was just what he had to do…

* * *

…_October 12, 1984_

"_Sounds good, man. Thanks." Still drunk, and high as hell, Hyde grimaced. "Wait, we don't have to get dressed up, do we? I don't do costumes."_

"_Yeah, me neither, but… it's required to get in," Colin, drunk and high, too, informed him miserably. "She's making me go as Prince Charming or some shit."_

_Hyde laughed along with his presumably most-loathed enemy. "Nice. That means you'll have to wear tights," he smirked, taking pleasure in the foreigner's gloom. And at the sour contortion of Colin's face, Hyde shrugged. "Hey, she's your girlfriend, man."_

_The Irishman nodded. "Yeah," he breathed out heavily. "Fiancé soon," he added, this fatal mistake made so casually and without thought or intent. "…and then I'm really fucked, huh?" Colin laughed and shook his head. "She'll be trying to dress me in tights for a God damn eternity."_

_Hyde's smile, though, disappeared. "What?"_

"_In tights… I mean, not really. I'm not actually going to do it, brother." Laughing, Colin took a swig of his beer, never catching the moment for what it was: his end._

"_No," Hyde corrected him and sat forward in his seat. "What'd you say before that?"_

"_Oh. Yeah, don't say anything, but I have to go to New York next month and I think I'm gonna buy a ring when I'm there." Colin smiled proudly. "Surprise her. The ring she wants is in this store on Fifth…"_

_Hyde blinked. Hate… No. No. No. Beyond that. That feeling, that warm, fuzzy one that wanted to spread, it evaporated into dust and he felt a fire ignite in his chest and swell around to his back. Hate only fueled it. IT, this new feeling, it did not have a name. It had energy, though, and power, and suddenly a reason to rise. "You're… You're gonna propose to Jackie?" _

_Taking another swallow off his bottle, Colin nodded happily. "Yeah, I think I am."_

"_Oh…" It came out of the cool, October air, and why on that night, there was no explanation, but it hit with lightening speed, and a strength he'd never felt before, bringing with it the weight and force of ten indolent, and wasted, years. "Yeah, man…" Feigning a smile, Hyde nodded. His eyes, though, if the foreigner had at all been paying attention, or had just been sober, he would have noticed, were ablaze and beginning to stir with intent. "Congratulations." _

"_Thanks."_

_Maybe it was a warning before the storm, a low rumbling in the sky, or maybe it was just one last attempt by a wiser universe to rouse his slumbering heart. It was, though, the moment of his awakening…_

…_Seven weeks later …_

_Thanksgiving Night_

_Standing in a far corner, letting go of a single quarter, a blonde's face shined beneath a flicker of red light, and then white, and then Bowie turned to Sledge inside the overcrowded bar, slowing the tempo and tuning the mood; and that was how abruptly the world could change: in the blink of an eye. One minute you were listening to Bowie and the next, you were in the ballroom of a ship, stealing another man's woman._

_When a man loves a woman  
Can't keep his mind on nothing else  
He'll trade the world  
For the good thing he's found…_

_His swollen, bruising eyes set shamefully on the bar, Hyde sat down. "Can I get a beer?" he asked the man behind the counter._

_Frowning at the sound of his adversary's voice, Colin turned his head and blew out an indignant breath. "What, did you come back for another beating? The first one wasn't good enough for you?"_

"_We should… talk, or something." Hyde pinched his face at his own words. Stupid Formans and their pushy morals._

"_I've said all I have to say," Colin asserted._

_Just then, a beer was set down in front of Hyde by the rather intrigued bartender. "Wait. This is the guy?" he asked Colin, pointing at Hyde. "The one who…"_

"_Yeah," Colin nodded, unable to believe it himself as he drank from his glass.Upon the news, Jerry, his sympathetic bartender, moved to take the beer back before Hyde could grab it, but Colin waved the action off. "It's alright."_

"_Thanks." Hyde snatched his beer and knocked it back as Jerry eyed him and walked away. From where Hyde sat, his part of the conversation was foregone. There were no choices anymore. The decisions had all been made. And now, whether Colin listened or not, Hyde was going to try, for once, to do things right, the way the Formans would do them, honorably and all that shit. _

_Seated two seats away, and taking a swill off his Guinness, Colin shook his head. "You knew, you fuck. You knew I was going to propose to her."_

_Hyde drew in a deep breath. "Look, man, I'm sorry, alright. But it's not like I made her do anything… What we did was wrong, and I'm really sorry about that. I am. But…" Hyde stood up from his seat and shook his head at the sum of it all. The fucking simplicity. "I love her," he shrugged without apology, "and if there's a chance she'll take me back, I'm going for it… I just thought you should know that."_

…_When a man loves a woman  
Down deep in his soul  
She can bring him such misery_

_Colin's jaw clenched, his eyes still set on his beer. "She won't," he uttered. "You're not good enough for her, and you know it. She knows it."_

"_Yeah." Hyde threw a small wad of cash on the bar, saying his final words on the matter. "I know. But I'm not losing her again… I'm just not…"_

_If she is playing him for a fool  
He's the last one to know  
Lovin' eyes can never see…_

* * *

"Steven?" 

"Yeah?"

"You're still awake?"

"Yeah."

"Me, too."

"Yeah, I kinda figured."

Jackie sighed and angled her head to rest it on Hyde's shoulder, finally content as she stared into the serenity of her darkened room. "Steven?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not gonna hurt me again, right?"

"No," Hyde shook his head. "I'm not."

"Okay… Hey, Steven?"

"Huh?"

"How long were you planning to stay?"

"For as long as you'll let me, I guess."

"Okay," Jackie accepted with a smile. "Oh, Steven?"

"Yeah."

"I don't think you're a dream crusher anymore."

Hyde spread his lips into a grin. "Thanks, baby." In a quest for her mouth, he leaned into the darkness. His attempt at a kiss was quickly interrupted, though, as the phone rang, and then rang again.

Sitting up, Jackie looked at Hyde's outline inquisitively. "It's almost midnight. Who would be calling right now?"

"_Hi! This is Jackie! Leave a message after the beep and if you're lucky, or really rich, I'll call you back!"_

"_Jackie."_

The brunette being called upon froze at attention, her rosy lips curling downward from the sudden reminder. Beside her, Hyde's heart sunk deep into the middle of his back, suddenly worried as he watched her eyes turn away from him and settle in the direction of the kitchen, where her answering machine sat, where Colin breathed abrupt, uneven breaths.

"_I… I have no idea what to say to you right now."_

Hyde paused, watching Jackie carefully. Not a blink. Not that he could see. Not even as she looked down at him with beleaguered eyes that held concern for the heartbroken voice invading their night.

"_I just… I wanted you to know that… I still love you… and… I still want to marry you someday, Jackie…" _

A deep inhale, echoed by the complicated wires of a machine, filled the bedroom just before a sharp click made Jackie blink and disengage from Hyde, sending her eyes back toward the bedroom door and into the vast, unknown void that reached far beyond its threshold. All the while, Hyde's stayed on her and waited...

11:59:57…

11:59:58…

11:59:59…

**Saturday**

**December 1, 1984**

To Be Continued.

* * *

A/N: Why do I feel like I'm going to get yelled at for this ending? Hehe. Well, anyway, this is it, friends, one more chapter, AKA: the finale, and then an epilogue and you'll finally be rid of me. ;) What's nice, though, is that it's already half written. I just need to sit down and decide how it ends once and for all. In the meantime, please review. It's your encouragement that keeps me moving. Happy New Year! 


	32. Chapter 32

**November Rain: Finale**

**Chapter 32: Lights Will Guide You Home**

**A/N: **Sorry this took so long. Ok, so if I entertained you at all through this story, please do for me two things: **read all the way to the end and no skipping ahead**. Please. I posted the extended version of the finale (I had the awesome peeps on the JH thread vote.). It's very long. It covers the day of the wedding. Anyway, thanks for this past year and a half. I learned a lot and you guys really gave back more than I could have ever hoped for. Enjoy the finale. I thought about it long and hard and made the decisions I thought both Jackie and Hyde would make. I hope you agree…

**Music**: (I chose these based on my parent's (who were married in the same year) wedding reception. I was eight. Hehe.)

Coming Around Again – Carly Simon

I Love You – Climax Blues Band

Sara – Jefferson Starship

Cool Night – Paul Davis

Purple Rain – Prince

The Hollies – The Air That I Breath

* * *

So never mind the darkness  
We still can find a way  
'Cause nothin' lasts forever  
Even cold November rain

* * *

Have you ever felt what is typically defined as love—the euphoria, the ascension of joyous molecules that surges through your entire body and floods every chamber of your heart? Have you ever closed your eyes and smiled until you almost burst? Or wished for time to stand completely still, because nothing, no moment that could ever exist on this earth, would ever feel more exhilarating? Has a song ever brought it back to you? The sound of someone's voice? A smile? A memory? Would you know it if you saw it? Or heard it call out your name in the dark? Would you reach out to touch it?

Would you, knowing that your hand may, in time, fall empty to your side?

…_October 31, 1984…_

_At some point during their journey, she had opened her eyes, all five of her senses guarded as she took slow, tentative steps. It was pitch black, terrifying, but then his hand reached out and found hers again. It guided her and burned incredibly hot against her skin, leaving flighty little tingles that made her smile almost deliriously. He was being so wonderful tonight, so attentive. He was calling back the past in low whispers and it felt—he felt—like a once distant dream rushing upon her. She was young again, beautiful, and vying for the affections of this boy who had lit a spark in her heart for as long as she could remember. She was blind in this maze, lost and, yet, somehow, found again. _

_Until she accidentally let go. _

"_Hyde?" Jackie called out. It was suddenly quiet, and she was scared. So she stopped moving forward. She stalled. "Steven," she said more feebly. "Are you still there?" But when she felt his warm chest on her back, she closed her eyes again and smiled, hugging his strong hands to her chest. _

_It was going to be okay._

"_I think we're lost," he whispered in her ear. _

_Opening her eyes, Jackie looked down the dark passageway. "I think we are, too."_

_They were silent a moment, alone for the time being, disoriented, but she felt safe in his arms, in this place and time, holding onto him in the dark. _

"_It's not so bad. Is it?" he asked, sweeping aside her hair with his chin to place his lips on the nape of her neck. "Being lost?"_

_She could feel him smile and breathe softly against her skin, and it made her smile, too, as she shook her head. "No, baby… It's not."_

"_We could just stay here."_

"_Yeah," she supposed. "We could."_

"_Or we could try and find our way out."_

_Jackie sighed. Time could actually stand still; couldn't it, if they really wanted it to? They could stay here forever, together, or they could try to make it out and risk losing each other in the dark again. It seemed too risky. However, the light, with all its warmth and promise, was up ahead somewhere, shining and moving the rest of the world forward, calling to them. _

_It was time._

"_Yeah," Jackie whispered to him the moment several starbursts of light sparkled up ahead. It made her clutch his thick fingers tighter to her chest. "I think we should try…"_

**Saturday**

**December 1, 1984**

**Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

**3:43 a.m.**

Her body disoriented and aching for sleep, Jackie sat up and had to force her eyelids open.

As she glanced around, the darkness told her it was still the middle of the night, while her skin told her that she was incredibly cold.

Reaching down for her blankets, it suddenly occurred to her that she had not gone to bed alone. She had gone with Hyde. They had been here together since making love, with the exception of a brief trip to the shower and his journey to the kitchen for some water.

Jackie yanked the blankets over herself and lay down, fighting to stay awake.

"Steven," she reached out.

He wouldn't leave her.

He wouldn't let her wake up alone—she hoped so, anyway—and so when her hand landed on his hot, flushed back, her fingertips crawling over the bulk of his muscle to touch his spine, she smiled.

"Hey," she rasped and rocked his body. "Steven… Steven… Steven…"

"Whaaaat," Hyde grumbled and turned his head.

"Are you awake?"

"No," he growled. As his hand landed on her side, though, he sighed. "What's wrong?"

"I keep having bad dreams."

"Oh." Rubbing his face and eyes, Hyde sat up on his elbows. "Uh…It's alright. Just go back to sleep." He turned all the way toward her and lay back down, pulling her body toward his. "You're alright."

"I know, but it was terrible," Jackie explained glumly, feeling his lips—still hot from sleep—kiss her forehead. "I was at this awful rodeo with all these other girls and we were in this beauty contest and they kept making us do these stupid tasks in order to win, and, in the end,_Donna_ won because she lassoed her dead cat—you know, the one Eric ran over—which is ridiculous because she is _not_ prettier than me, Steven."

"Mm-hm," Hyde murmured, his eyes practically glued shut.

"And then I was in this dark, dirty warehouse and I was scared and I couldn't find you, and then _Donna_ showed up with her stupid trophy and I wanted to smack her in the face with it."

Hyde yawned. "Did you?"

"No," Jackie grumbled regretfully. "But I wanted to really bad. She wouldn't shut up about winning. Oh, but _then…_ she just disappears, and the warehouse turned into that ship, remember, from Halloween? What was the name?"

Hyde rubbed at his eyes. "Um… I don't remember, baby. Go back to sleep."

"Just listen to me," Jackie begged, growing frustrated with him. "Are you listening? Steven?"

"I'm listening."

Jackie exhaled, relieved when she saw him wearily open his eyes. "You were there with me, in one of the mazes," she continued, "in the dark. Do you remember when we got lost and we kept flirting…"—Jackie smiled at the memory—"and touching each other… and you kept pulling me inside those dark little corners to try and sneak kisses." She tucked her bottom lip in with an ever-brightening smile and touched the tip of her nose to his. "Do you remember?"

Hyde smiled back sleepily. "Yeah." Impelled by her intimacy, and the gentle hum of her pillow voice, he left a kiss on her lips and trailed more down her jaw until he reached her neck. "I remember you were beautiful." That said, he devoured her flesh with more kisses. "And you smelled really good…I remember _that_."

Dreamily, Jackie smiled, closing her eyes at the feeling as she hugged his head. "Mmm… Well, I don't remember what happened in my dream; I don't even remember what you said, but we were happy, Steven. I remember that… but then I just…woke up."

"Good," Hyde groaned blearily and closed his eyes, settling into a comfortable sleeping position with her. "Now you can go _back_ to sleep."

"_Steven."_

"Come on, Jackie. I'm tired."

"Fine," Jackie conceded with a huff. There was more she wanted to tell him, much more she had left to say, but it would have to wait. She hadn't remembered the exact language of her dream—it might as well have been in Chinese—but the feelings it had given her lingered, prodding her to move. And where she had to go, unfortunately, was clear as a blue spring sky …

* * *

Five Hours Later

8:46 a.m.

"Steven!" Jackie screeched crossly. "That isn't funny anymore!"

Hyde continued to grin, chuckling beneath his breath. "It's funny if _someone's_ laughing, Jackie," he reasoned.

At that, Jackie growled and pivoted around to face her bathroom mirror. A harsh point of her finger at his reflection did little to stop his jollity, though. "Do it again and die a violent, _vicious_ death, Steven Hyde!"

It was as if she knew the exact call to sic, though, the command to send his hand flying in to goose and scare her again.

Hyde's tongue pushed past his lips, like a devious child up to no good, and Jackie's eyes widened.

"Ahh!" she jumped at the light assault and, against her better judgment, began to laugh, which she knew would only encourage him more. Jackie scowled angrily, growling, "I hate you!"

But Hyde only grinned in celebration over another victory, happy as she smacked him and kicked with her bare feet.

"God! You're such an idiot sometimes."

Amused greatly, Hyde claimed her waist and gave her a smile. "Let's go do it now. It's way hotter when you're pissed."

Against him, Jackie shook her head, but still let him kiss her. It was hard to deny him when he was in such a good mood.

"We're gonna be late," she reminded him, smiling. "It's already…" She grabbed his wrist to get a look at his watch. "Oh my God, it's almost nine!" In a flash, Jackie spun around and began to move furiously. "Brooke's gonna kill us!"

"She's not going to kill me. I'm ready." Clean, dressed and shaved, Hyde pointed at the hot curlers coloring Jackie's brunette head a light shade of violet. "You're the one that took two hours sticking those ridiculous purple tubes all over your head."

"It would have taken less if you had left me alone."

"Well, I couldn't do that."

Jackie's body sunk in agony, her face wearing a desperate plea as her bottom lip protruded. "Can you put my dress and my shoes, and all the stuff on the bed, in my car," she begged, scattered as she transferred the day's essentials into a large case on top of the bathroom counter. "Pleeeeease. Come on, Steven."

Hyde rolled his eyes and turned around. As asked, he grabbed her things from her bed and took them down to her car, leaving only her to manage.

"Jackie!" Donned in his sunglasses, Hyde stood waiting at her front door. "Come on. We've gotta hit the road."

A moment later, Jackie came cruising out of her bedroom, dressed in leggings, boots and a button down flannel pajama shirt, carrying a purse the size of her mattress. Rows of curlers made her head look like a giant, purple football helmet.

"What am I forgetting to do?" Jackie asked him.

Hyde grimaced at her head. "Coin-toss?"

"Huh?"

Hyde frowned. "Nothing…Come here." He pulled her closer to him. "I know you said you don't want to talk about it, but…"

"That's right, Steven. I don't. So just let it go. We're fine." At his frown, Jackie sighed and put her hands on his sides. "Steven," she said more deliberately, her eyes sincere and soft. "We're _fine_," she repeated. "Okay…Look. I know what I did before…didn't exactly help things, but I'm okay now. _We're_ okay now," she smiled. "I'm never going to choose anyone but you, ever again. I promise…Okay?"

Hyde blinked, his face unchanging, and accepted a kiss with closed eyes…

* * *

First Presbyterian Church

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Same Time

Christie, a woman who, by all rhyme and reason, should not be by her side today, flanked Brooke like a Golden Retriever. Her arms, after much insistence, were loaded with bridal paraphernalia, both guilt and gratuity giving her the strength to keep her frail legs moving.

Brooke groaned, her arms hauling twice as much. "Please, God, don't let me drop this…"

Christie exhaled painfully. "Where's the entrance?"

"Around the other side," Brooke answered, out of breath, too, as she peeked over the pile she carried. "It's a big door with the stained glass."

Then, as if the hands of her God had answered her plea, the weight in Brooke's grip cut in half.

"I got it," a light Irish accent murmured and Brooke could see again, the large suitcase gone.

"Colin!" Her shout was ecstatic. She'd always liked him, much better than Hyde.

Colin stepped over and grabbed everything from Christie's arms as she adjusted it to pile evenly in his, having no clue who this man was.

"What are you doing here?" Brooke asked him.

Colin appeared wary suddenly, frowning. "Oh." He glanced at Christie and returned to Brooke, wondering if he had overestimated his welcome. "Kelso said you would be here."

"Well, come on," Brooke urged him toward the building. "Are you alright?" she eventually asked, her assuming question laced with empathy as they entered the church's side building. "I'm really sorry, Colin…I knew about them, I just…she's my friend…"

"I know…Look," He followed her down a long, white hallway. "I know I told you I'd be an usher, but…"

"Oh, thank God," Brooke sighed in relief. "My Uncle Roy's plane was canceled," she explained as they entered a small, and very plain, bridal suite. "That blizzard coming down from Canada. There are no flights going out. You're all I have."

Colin looked at Christie—the only face that seemed to realize that this was not good news for him—and frowned back at Brooke in despair. "There's_ no_ _one_ else that could do it?"

Brooke set her things down carefully and hung up her dress, groaning as comprehension struck her. "Oh my God…I'm so sorry, Colin." She turned around, finally seeing what Christie had seen. His face rested in near horror. "You don't have to do it. I'm sure I can find someone else…I just…I wasn't thinking…I'm surprised you even came."

"Well I told you I would, so…" he trailed off, assuming she knew the rest.

"I know." Brooke's soft eyes reached his, her mind featuring pitying thoughts of the prize her best friend had simply tossed away like trash. It made her feel guilty, simply by association, and she shook her head as she began to search the pile she had just set down. "Christie, did you see a bright yellow address book about this big?"

The girl shook her head. "No."

Colin sighed, feeling the credence of his obligations. "Fuck…I guess…I could deal with the door and then go before…" He paused, the coming words impossible to get out.

"Colin, no. I wasn't thinking before. I'm not going to make you watch them together."

Colin's entire body tensed. "They're together? Like…?" More words that wouldn't budge.

Brooke was hesitant to answer.

"Brooke!" Colin demanded.

"I think so…I mean…"

Christie frowned. "Who are we talking about?"

"I'm sorry. Christie, this is Colin, Jackie's boyfriend…uh, fiancé" she cringed, cautiously watching Colin ponder the cold, stale air in front of him, his face turned down in angry grief.

"Ex-fiancé," he corrected.

Christie frowned, confused.

"Colin," Brooke continued, "this is Christie…um…"

"The cancerous burden," she smiled sourly and reached out. "Hi."

Colin shook her hand, a curious scowl on his face. "Hey."

Brooke let out a dark laugh. "Great! Now all we need is for my absent, alcoholic father to stumble in and it's a party!"

Both Colin and Christie grimaced.

"Sorry…"

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

The Church

Arriving late, Jackie stepped out of the passenger side of her car and grabbed her dress and shoes from the back seat as Hyde grabbed what remained. She raised her head to scrutinize the large slate-stoned church as they walked toward it together.

It was truly beautiful, and it could not have been any closer to the church of her dreams. Inside it, the perfect white gown would flow around her, little girls with baskets of loose petals would giggle and throw their arms high into the air, an abundance of witnesses would turn to see _her_, the blushing bride, the beauty to her black-tuxedoed beast, and at the end of the aisle, a priest and the beast would wait, both smiling and wearing Armani.

Jackie felt Hyde grab her hand and let the dream dissolve as four of her friends came into view, all standing on the front steps.

Donna stepped forward and smiled. "Wow." Taking hold of Hyde's chin, she turned his head from left to right. "You look so much better. God, yesterday you looked like Muhammad Ali."

"But _slightly_ less black," Fez clarified.

Donna frowned and turned to Jackie. "So what did you do?" she asked her, gesturing toward Hyde's now-minor bruises.

Jackie smiled. "_Well…"_ Nearing her breaking point and ready to burst, Jackie released a loud squeal and began to clap her hands together. "I got him to wear a mud mask!" she exclaimed excitedly. "It was a special recipe from my mom, but it worked! And he wore cucumbers… like a girl!"

Hyde's face fell as his friends began to grin at him.

"A mud mask, huh?" Donna asked Hyde rhetorically. A teasing smile spread across her face. "Cucumbers?"

"Jackie likes it doggie style best," Hyde announced and stepped around Donna, heading up the stairs toward the church door.

Just as quickly, the scrutiny shifted to Jackie, whose mouth fell open.

"Oh, yeah!" Kelso beamed. "I remember that!" Instantly, he received a sharp punch to his arm as Hyde passed. "Ah!" he groaned, but laughed regardless. "Man, I missed that!"

Jackie frowned. "I do_ not_ like it doggie style," she attempted lamely to the four people remaining on the steps, smiling at her. Her face twisted in exaggerated revulsion. "That's just…" She breathed shallow breaths until a high-pitched growl finished her sentence, and then stomped around Donna, past Eric, to follow Hyde inside.

Kelso opened his mouth.

"Shut _up_, Michael!"

* * *

Hyde had Jackie in his hand as they walked into the bridal suite and it was then that the morning turned awkward. 

Everyone stopped.

Hyde thought her heard a small gasp coming from Jackie's throat. He couldn't be sure, though.

But there he was, in the flesh, looking at their clasped hands. The day had officially begun. The meter turned and started to click, and suddenly Hyde knew that his time was now being measured in hours instead of days.

"Colin…What…" Jackie broke away from Hyde's grasp. He played it off, though, like it didn't bother him that the woman he loved was stepping toward her ex-lover, speaking in her softest tone. "What are you doing here?"

"He's my only usher," Brooke responded before Colin could open his mouth.

"Oh."

Maintaining his silence, Colin only studied his intended bride with amorous but guarded eyes.

Jackie stared back.

The room was silent.

It was then that Christie collapsed and hit the floor with a swift series of thuds.

"Oh my God!"

Everyone crowded around the frail girl, until Kelso lifted her onto a small love seat at the edge of the room. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine." She tried to sit up, appearing dazed, but lay back down when her dizziness got the best of her.

"You should eat something," Brooke uttered, her face wrought with guilt. "I've had you running around all morning... I'm so sorry."

"No, Brooke. It's okay."

Brooke stood up. "Does anybody have something to eat? Juice? Anything?"

No one did.

"Steven, go to McDonald's or something," Jackie pleaded with him, a grimace of distaste on her angel face. "Get her some food before she just_ drops_ like that again."

"Oh, would you?" Brooke asked him with hopeful eyes. "Please."

Hyde glanced between the two women. "Yeah," he sighed. _Crap._

Hyde gathered everyone's order, accepting the glaring shake of Colin's head as his no, and left, apprehensive as he parted with Jackie.

"I'll miss you," she called out quietly in the hallway behind him as he left, and he turned around, retracing his steps to leave her an enduring kiss. Truth be told, he was afraid to leave her here with him.

"Just come with me," Hyde whispered. "It'll only take a few minutes."

"I can't, Steven. I have to get ready…"

So Hyde had to dismiss his reluctance and leave her anyway. He exited the building with a sinking feeling in his gut. The morning was too grey. The air was too cold. The time ticked away too fast…

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

Her reflection staring back at her, Jackie fluffed her curls. She could feel his eyes on her suddenly. The boys had all left the room nearly twenty minutes before, but there was stress at her back and her muscles tensed.

He was definitely there.

"Can we talk?" Colin asked, now behind her, an audible stagger from sorrow to hope animating his quiet tone. "Please?" The sound was so soft. The reflection of his eyes worried.

Jackie spun around and parted her lips, pausing. He was so beautiful, more handsome than she'd remembered, even though it had only been a couple of days.

The answer barely made it past her tongue. "Okay."

Past the judgmental stares of her friends, Colin led Jackie away, down around a corner and through a hall to a large window. The wind outside was restless, but the air around them quiet as they stood.

Jackie looked at her bare, painted toes and wondered to herself if this was where he was going crush her and tell her hurtful things. She prepared herself—and her heart—for the blow.

"I love you," Colin whispered to her surprise. At first, she wondered if he had even meant for her to hear it. Or had she imagined it?

Jackie looked up, near horrified at the possibility that she had.

Colin looked just as surprised. "I do."

She didn't know what to say. She loved him, too. Blinking once—it stung—Jackie thought she took a step closer to him. She couldn't be sure. But that was all she did. Her mouth went unmoving. A first for such a declaration.

It seemed to strike Colin that she had not said it back, that she had abstained. Jackie knew that her silence spoke volumes, especially from a girl like her—a walking billboard of inner thoughts. But today, she was trying to make her heart invisible. It was her only defense.

He couldn't have known, though.

Colin looked down. It was inside that span of time that Jackie started to let her urge to cry remind me of where she was. In a grey-morning-lit hallway, watching this wonderful man try to suppress pain. He thought she didn't love him. His heart was breaking.

"Colin..." Jackie touched his hand.

"What did I do, Jackie?" he cut in, looking up. There it was, finally. A small fraction of the anger she deserved, but with so much more torment than she'd imagined.

Jackie shook her head. "Nothing." It was true. He had done nothing wrong. Why did people always assume such betrayals were their fault, including herself, she wondered. But she was learning different. Sometimes no one was to blame. Though, that was not the case today. This cruel fault she could only claim as her own.

Colin kept his heated eyes away from her, obviously trying to avoid the coming answer as he mumbled his question. "You love him?" He blinked, frowning, already hurting.

"Yes." Jackie shuddered, afraid of his reaction.

But, feeling like a coward, she quickly looked away. Her fingers fidgeted. She could see, out of the corner of her eye, his face balk. His eyes closed, as if he had been hit by something unexpected, something painful. His body swayed and caught itself. His head fell. And it was then that her heart broke with his. She saw something beautiful about the connection.

Tears stung her eyes. "I'm so sorry…I just," Jackie meandered though her own thoughts. What had happened between them? She loved him. He had been her baby for a long, long time. She would have killed for him. "I…"

"Don't you love me anymore," she heard him ask. "At all?" The warmth, and the want, in his voice were inviting, drawing her into his agony. Jackie stepped closer. Only she could make it go away, and the craving was strong to oblige the duty.

"I love you so much," she said, making his drawn eyes flash over to her.

Jackie froze and closed her eyes under his scrutiny. She figured neither of them would know what to say, but realized when his hand grabbed hers, that she was wrong about him. He knew exactly what to say, what to do. He knew her from when she was a billboard. He knew how her mind toiled.

"Come here," Colin whispered and pulled Jackie gently toward him. The wind seemed to sing outside as she narrowed the space between them and touched her stomach to his with some reluctance.

Jackie looked up feebly. "Do you hate me?" She couldn't help but let it slip out. It was her only remaining burden, and it hurt not knowing.

His eyebrows crinkled. "No," he answered, his tone warm. "I…" He bit his bottom lip and sucked it in. "I don't hate you…I told you, I love you…which," He squeezed his eyes shut—his teeth clenched, "…really pisses me off."

Jackie frowned. It wasn't what she was expecting, to say the least, but nothing about this month could have been foreseen. That fact was the not the strangest of revelations either. She had been expecting rage and yelling, maybe a broken window. Why, she didn't know, considering he had never shown much of a temper in the nineteen months they had been together. But still, she _had_ slept with _Steven Hyde_—her _ex_-boyfriend, who had, in horrid fact, ditched her for a stripper—twenty-seven times in the last thirty-one days. That had to earn her a raised voice, at least.

Colin's jaw tightened while two of his fingers rose to meet each other. "I'm this close to killing him, Jackie…He doesn't deserve you."

"He does."

"Jackie, he left you for a stripper. He doesn't want the things you want, the things _we_ want." Colin shook his head, and looked away to calm his temper. "He's just going to leave you again, Jackie, and I'm not gonna be there when he does."

Jackie swallowed, her expression full of concern as Hyde's defense moved to the tip of her tongue. And as much as she knew what Colin was trying to do, especially given the look of restrained desperation on his face, she couldn't stop his words from seeping into her heart. "I…I'm…He wouldn't do that again. He promised." The defense had come out shaky, unsure, and she knew it would become fodder against her.

Colin pinched his lips together as a deep breath shuddered into his lungs. Shaking his head, he started to wander away but came back as quickly as he had left. His face came within inches of hers, where he closed his eyes gently.

"Just tell me you don't love me anymore…baby… Just…" His hands held her head as his eyes opened again. There was a battle raging behind them. They were furious. "You think I want to be here? You think I _like_ this, Jackie?" There it was. Her raised voice. "_You_ cheated on _me_! And now _I'm_ fucking here, trying to get _you_ back! It's…" Composing himself, Colin swallowed and touched his palm to his mouth, sweeping away the sour words, it seemed. "Jackie," His voice was calm again, "just…tell me there's no chance for you and me to fix this and I'll go. I'll leave you alone…I promise."

Jackie could see the fury behind his eyes, boiling, but restrained.

Why were they always saying that now? Why did they suddenly _need_ her permission to walk away? It was foreign to her, the chivalry of men, and she frowned, insulted.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she shouted at him. "Stop it! This is not your fault! It's mine! You're _not_ supposed to want me back!"

Colin grimaced. "You're my fiancé," he growled. "Obviously I take that a little more seriously than you do."

"I'm not _anything_, Colin," Jackie reminded him gently, absentmindedly rubbing the fingers from her right hand over the ghost of the only engagement ring to have ever been hers. She looked up, trying hard to brave back her tears as she remembered her rescinded dream. "We're not engaged anymore, remember?"

She watched his eyes soften, to her dismay. He was making this too hard.

"I'm sorry about that," Colin whispered. His breath caught, his lips rubbing together pensively as he replaced his breath through his nose. "I didn't mean what I said…I was pissed… I'm still pissed, but I'm not just going to give up."

It was then that Jackie began to hyperventilate and become dizzy. "I need some air."

"What?"

"It's too hot in here," she shouted petulantly as she hurried to find an exit. "I hate sweating!"

Jackie reached the rarely-used double doors that led to the facade of the building and shoved them open, squinting at the sudden invasion of gray, morning light on her eyes. She sucked the frigid December air into her lungs, just as the fact that it was sleeting just beyond the small awning that protected her registered in her mind. 

The cold hit her arms first and chest first. She should have brought her jacket.

Not but a few seconds later, soft, warm lips touched her ear from behind, beginning to whisper unfair, and undeserved, words of love. The things Romeo might have told Juliet beneath clean, white cotton sheets, had he been Irish, pissed off, and dreadfully in love. Her back grew remarkably warm from his presence, the heat radiating around her body in time with his arms.

Jackie wanted to close her eyes, but instead she turned around to face her suitor…

Hyde got out of his car, his mind sorting out the logistics of his life's newest, and most immediate, plans. He was happy, though, as he walked up a narrow sidewalk carrying everyone's breakfast.

The meter continued to tick, while one nasty and irrefutable truth about the temperament of human jealousy seethed. Not that it is selfish or 'sinful' or impulsive—nor is it truly wrong in the errant twinkle of the right eyes—but that it is uncontrollable, like a rabid, hungry beast that needs to feed, and grow, and possess. It makes us mammal—warm-blooded—and inside its red haze, a man could sell his soul and not know the difference; nor would he care.

Staring though the rain, Hyde clenched the muscles around his violated eyes. Concentrated jealousy raked like a lath of nails across his chest, burning hot at the sight of them. Her body against his. Her fingers in his wet hair. His hands moving down her sides. Colin had what was his, but worse, his eyes were open wide, watching what he held in his arms, watching her head move as she spoke in his ear, breathing her in.

Distorted images roiling him, Hyde had to close his eyes and try to let out all the sour air in his lungs. It was either that or turn toward the veiled sun and never look back. He could hear his own heart hammer away in his chest; adrenaline pumped hard into his veins and forced his feet toward the building. He couldn't look at them. He had to focus on the door and swallow down the animal thirst he had to crush Colin's skull into the pavement and smile, to kiss her, and claim her as his own for once and for all.

"Oh, good. You're back." Donna's smiling face passed him by. "Hyde… Hyde…"

He just had to move, keep the mission clear. Food to the cancer chick. Hyde closed his eyes again. Food to the cancer chick. Her hands had touched his face. Were they going to kiss?

"Here," Hyde growled and handed Brooke the two bags in his hands, the blistering sting of Jackie and Colin still stabbing at his throat.

Looking inside the bags, Brooke frowned. "No orange juice?" she pouted.

Rigid eyes shot her a glower, making her frown deepen into a sneer.

"Well, God. What's wrong with _you_?"

Donna walked into the room behind Hyde as he ignored Brooke's question and sat down to place his forehead in his hands.

"Hyde."

Hyde's jaw tightened. Just what he needed. Shit from these two.

"Why did you ignore me just now?" Donna continued.

"Hyde," Brooke followed Donna. "What's the matter?"

"Hyde."

Hyde held up a hand. "Can you two just… _shut up _for a second, please?"

"What is your pr-" Then Donna sucked in a deep breath. "Oh… You saw Jackie and Colin."

Hyde looked up, just as Brooke looked over at Donna, similarly stunned. "What? Why? What are they doing?"

Donna kept her reprimanding eyes on Hyde, however, as she shook her head. "Hyde. They're just talking. She probably told him about you, and he's upset. Can you blame the poor guy? Just let her say her goodbyes. You got yours with Jessica."

Sighing, Brooke turned back to Hyde, a stern look of disapproval in her eyes. "You know, this was always your problem, Hyde. This is why you two broke up in the first place. You _never_ trusted her."

"How would _you_ know?" Hyde sneered at Brooke, resenting the double-team. "You weren't even around."

"Because it's true," Donna interjected in Brooke's defense. "You jump to conclusions, Hyde, and that's why you lost her. Both times!"

Hyde pursed his lips. "She cheated on me with him before."

"Oh, come on. She did not," Donna rolled her eyes. "She was confused and upset and she_broke it off_ _with you_ because were being all 'Hydey' with the 'I'm scared of marriage' crap and _then_ she slept with him."

"No." Hyde stood up, infuriated. "I said I wasn't going to be threatened into marriage, so she picked him!"

Donna didn't budge to his tantrum, instead she folded her arms over her chest. "Yeah, well she _wanted_ you, and now she _picks_ you."

"Does she?" Hyde asked, his doubting, irate stare on her, truly wondering. "Why? Because he found out about us? And now he's probably saying he'll forgive her, so they're outside hugging and…making up." Every muscle in his body stiffened at the idea. His hand balled into fists as he began to pace. "I can't believe this."

Feigning apathy, Donna raised her eyebrows. "Why don't you _ask_ her instead of jumping to conclusions?" she suggested calmly, hoping the emotion would strike him, too.

Hyde sat back down. "I don't want to talk to her."

"Then you don't really want her," Brooke cut in, folding her arms, too. "So maybe he _should_ get her back."

Hyde looked up glaringly, stunned, angry… concerned.

Brooke remained stern.

"Steven."

Everyone looked over toward the sound of Jackie's distressed voice. Her wet eyes were locked on Hyde only, though, her chin quivering. "Puddin' Pop?" Her voice shook.

Hyde shot up, moving toward her cheerless face as if his jealous affliction had never occurred. It was forgotten for the time being. She was crying, and he wondered what Colin did to her.

He touched the sides of her shoulders with both hands. "Hey. Are you alright?"

Jackie shook her head no.

"C'mon." Hyde took her hand and pulled her down the hallway, searching for privacy and finding it in a dark closet shelved with plastic bins and board games. Closing the door behind them, he tried to find the light cord he had seen coming in.

"What happened?" His hands grasped at empty air, though. "Damn it."

"Steven," Jackie called quietly, her voice breaking. "Please…Just c'mere."

Hyde gave up, hearing the desperation in her voice, and moved toward her. She was just a dark, shaking mass against a small wall by the door. A shred of light peeked through, exposing her profile as she hung her head.

"Hey." Hyde raised my arm. His hands wanted to touch her soft skin, his fingers her hair. Had been wanting to all morning. He watched her close her eyes and heard her sigh when his touch finally reached her, so he relaxed, too. It was nice to know he still had that affect on her.

Offering more of himself, he brought their bodies together.

Jackie inhaled deeply, despondently, and flung her arms around his neck. "I'm killing him."

"You're killing_ me_," Hyde whispered deeply into her ear.

Jackie shut her eyes and squeezed them tight, trying to push away the guilt that had consumed her all month. It refused to leave. But it didn't matter right now. Warmth still spread though her like brandy. Hyde was there with her, in the safety of this dark closet, his breath gentle, level, as he sent the world temporarily away.

She knew he had seen her with Colin. Colin had seen Hyde walking away and let her follow, saying he'd be back later.

Yet Hyde said nothing.

She was killing them both.

"What the hell's going on, Jackie?" Hyde breathed out against her cheek, testing his way toward her mouth, surprised when she grabbed his face and pressed her lips forcefully to his.

Jackie opened her mouth quickly to let him in, and he obliged. Her heart battered the inside of her chest, thumping hard and fast, as his slick tongue caressed hers with sudden urgency. It felt good, and gratifyingly desperate, the way she wanted him to soothe her. It was easy to be here with him, inside his warm mouth, smashed up against him like this. It felt natural.

Unintentionally, Jackie whimpered against him. Her hands clutched at his hair. She kissed him as hard as humanly possible, feeling much better by the time his lips moved to taste her neck and throat.

"Don't leave a hickey," she demanded quietly.

"I'm not retarded, Jackie," Hyde whispered back, sounding slighted as he left gentle, sucking kisses on her neck. "I don't leave hickeys like you do."

With a breezy smile, Jackie closed her eyes. See. Totally natural, she thought to herself as she sighed. His lips were invigorating her skin, one breathy, wet kiss at a time. "God. You feel so good, Steven."

"Shh…" Hyde pressed his hips into hers, wincing at the agreeable friction it created between them while he bit at her earlobe. "You feel that?"

A thick, deep moan from her open mouth replaced a 'yes' and a subsequent whine encouraged even more pressing, which encouraged more moaning… and more kissing…more biting…more sucking… _more_ pressing…

"God, Steven," Jackie heaved, becoming even more intoxicated by him as he slid his hand down the back of her thigh and raised it over his hip, bringing the crux of their bodies that much closer together. She felt a sharp tingle, a spasm, where he pushed anxiously against her. She was close to tumbling over the edge of reason with him, to giving in.

But this couldn't happen here, a nagging voice reminded her.

"Puddin'. Wait," Jackie let out breathlessly, trying to avoid his lips. "No… No!" She shoved Hyde back. "We cannot do it in a closet at my best friend's wedding!"

Catching his breath, Hyde frowned, confused, and a little sad. "Why not?"

Jackie had to think about it. Why not? _Why… _not? People do relieve stress in different ways, she supposed. Why not sex in a closet at your best friend's wedding? It was as valid as any other coping mechanism.

The next thing she knew Hyde had filled her mouth again with his. Her back was pinned to the wall. God, his body felt so pleasurably thick against her…

_No. _

Drawing her head back, Jackie tried to force her hedonistic thoughts away again. His lips were relentless, though, and moved down her neck, his hands clenching harder at the hair at the base of her scalp.

"No. We just _can't,_Steven. It's wrong. And you're messing up my hair."

With a sudden grin, Hyde yanked on the hunk of her curls, driving her chin upwards with a huff. "You're sure?" he demanded smoothly, leaving another kiss at her throat, just below her jaw. "It could be fun… being so wrong."

Utterly convinced that he was so, so right about being so wrong, Jackie let out a sharp whimper. Her shoulders fell. "Okay," she breathed out and crushed his lips with hers. Her hands went immediately for his belt as his tongue demanded more of her mouth, but she pulled away again, thwarted by rational thought. "No, wait," she sighed sharply. "We can't."

Hyde groaned as Jackie pushed him back again and opened the door before he could offer any more temptation. "We need to get dressed."

"Hey."

Jackie turned around. "What?"

She waited, but he took too long, thought too hard.

"We have to go," she insisted again and left the room in a hurry, adjusting her clothes. "Don't put your tux on until it's almost time. It'll get wrinkled," she yelled back.

Hyde sighed, frustrated, and lowered his head. That had gained him nothing, except for her lingering taste on his lips and a hard on. He would have to do more than make out with her in closets to beat Colin.

Hyde blew out a breath as he walked out. "Shit…"

* * *

Her body on edge, mind scattered, Jackie stomped into the bridal sweet, making a point to let her presence known. 

"Ugh! Men!"

Seated at the vanity, Brooke held up a wide-toothed comb as she watched Jackie approach her in the mirror. "What did Hyde do now?"

Jackie grabbed the comb and began to arrange Brooke's freshly shaped curls. "He's being…too nice!"

On a small couch nearby, Donna flipped a magazine as Christie listened attentively by her side, chewing on her breakfast. "This again?"

"Yes!" Jackie yanked on Brooke's hair.

"Ow."

"Sorry."

Jackie heard a noise come from behind herself. A giggle? She turned around, unpleasantly surprised to see a small-statured blond in the recliner by the door. "Excuse me. Who are you?" she said with a dirty look.

"Oh," the girl straightened up and smiled. "I'm Brooke's cousin. Danielle. From Denver…I'm a bridesmaid."

Jackie appeared unimpressed. "Are you dating anyone?"

"Um…I'm engaged."

"So then you're not some skanky blond sent to destroy my day?"

"Um…no." Danielle frowned at Brooke, who was stifling a smile.

"Fine then." Jackie returned to the bride's hair. "Anyway," she continued. "I know Steven saw me and Colin hugging. But he didn't say anything. He didn't yell or anything. He wanted to do it in the closet instead."

Donna's expression turned to one of disgust. "Well maybe he's letting you say goodbye."

"You are saying goodbye, right?" Brooke asked.

Jackie's eyebrows flinched into a distant frown. She blinked. "Yeah." Her fingers unconsciously combed through Brooke's hair, her eyes set on some inanimate object on the vanity. "He wants me back, though."

"What?"

* * *

…10 a.m….

Pacing the church's altar with his groomsmen lounging around him, Kelso studied a single piece of paper. "Love is a many sple…splendored…I don't…Who says splendored?"

"The glorious William Holden," Fez, who was seated on the steps, smiled proudly.

"No. Frank Sinatra said it, dork," Hyde cut in from the groom's side first pew. He was lying on his back, opposite of Eric, who lay on the bride's side.

"William Holden!"

"Frank!"

"Well, it sucks!" Kelso yelled over the both of them. "So who cares?"

"It does not suck!" Angrily getting to his feet, Fez ripped the paper from Kelso's hands, leaving Kelso with a stunned expression. "If you do not like it, then write your own vows!"

Kelso's mouth turned down in anger. His jaw set. "Give it back,"

"Say you are sorry," Fez insisted calmly.

"Fine, I'm sorry!" Kelso screeched and snatched the crumpled piece from Fez's grasp, grumbling as he returned to his memorizing trance and began to pace once again. "…Stupid…Love is a many…"

Staring at the ceiling, Hyde tossed up a bouquet of flowers and caught it. "What do you think he wants," he directed toward Eric.

"Well," Eric cringed as he barely caught his bouquet, "I didn't want to freak you out, but he sort of said he was going to try and get her back from you."

"Yeah, I figured as much." Hyde tossed his bouquet in the air again and caught it. "As long as he doesn't give her that ring back, I should be okay."

"Why you think…you think that'll send her running back to him?"

Hyde huffed. "That's like waving candy in front of a baby."

"Ooh, candy."

"Or, Fez."

Eric shook his head. "That's just wrong, man. Even for Jackie."

"Not really," Fez interrupted, shaking his head thoughtfully. "Jackie had been waiting for Colin to propose for a long time. They seemed pretty happy. And it's not like Hyde will ever propose…Well, not unless Jackie changes occupations," he snickered.

Hyde through his bouquet at Fez's face.

"Ow, Hyde."

"You mention that again today and you're dead."

Fez frowned and glanced over at Eric before setting his eyes back on an irate Hyde. Behind him, Kelso still paced and memorized. "Why don't you just propose, Hyde," Fez suggested snappishly. "Then you and Colin are even…kind of, he didn't marry a…" Fez swallowed, noticing Hyde's expression. "…he didn't do anything bad to her and maybe you'll have a chance."

"No," Eric sat up and got to his feet, pointing at Hyde. "That's a bunch of crap! Hyde! You shouldn't have to propose to her just to keep her, man. If she's going to choose Colin over you just because he gave her some shiny diamond then screw her, man. You're better off."

"But he loves her," Fez countered.

"So what? She obviously doesn't love him back if he has to propose to beat Colin. I mean, I like Colin and all, and he's doing what he thinks he has to, but…" Eric shook his head as Hyde sat up, listening intently. Eric frowned to his friend in seriousness. "You'll always wonder, man. Why…you know? Why she _really_ picked you…"

* * *

…11:10 a.m….

"You girls ready yet?" Red called into a small crack in the door and straightened up when Danielle opened it all the way. Behind him, Hyde stood, dressed in his tuxedo, too, waiting.

Brooke stepped out from her small private bridal room and sighed self-consciously, her body decorated in white antique silk and Bobbin lace. Her chestnut hair, smoothed in large curls, fell loosely over shoulders, clouded by a sheer veil.

"Whoa," Hyde muttered, awed by the bride as he nodded.

Red only smiled proudly.

"You ready, my dear?"

Nervousness worrying her veiled face, Brook grabbed her stomach. "I think so." Her expression rivaled that of a nauseas mother-to-be.

Jackie brought her hand to her mouth. "Oh my God. You look so beautiful. Michael's gonna freak!" she squealed.

"Brooke," Donna shook her head. "You look beautiful."

Brooke closed her eyes, her hand moving to her erratically-beating heart. "I can do this, right? God, there are probably so many people out there."

"You have your vows memorized," Jackie reminded her. "You look incredible. You can do this."

"I don't think I can." Brooke's breathing increased in tempo. Her hands shook as she smoothed the hips of her dress.

Jackie stepped toward her friend as everyone froze. "Brooke."

"I'm, I, I can't."

Hyde glanced at Jackie before returning his eyes to Brooke. "Kel… Michael's out there waiting, Brooke. He's pretty nervous, too."

Brooke opened her eyes. "He is?"

Hyde nodded. "He's naming off his favorite cheeses."

She laughed, prompting the others to smile and breathe a short sigh of relief.

Red tried again. "Do you think you're ready?"

Still wary, Brooke nodded and stepped toward him. "Just…hold onto me, okay," was her only request. "I go down in this dress and I'm not coming back up."

Red smiled, offering his left arm. "Well if it's one thing Red Forman is good at, it's keeping a lady on her toes."

"Thanks." Brooke left with him as everyone followed them out. Hyde waited for Jackie and smiled, looking her over as everyone disappeared down the hall. It took him a moment to speak. She looked beautiful. Her dress was long and emerald green, somehow making her eyes match the same color. Her dark hair was down and curled with a single diamond clip holding one side away from her ear. Her face was of an angel's.

Jackie smiled. "Well…"

"You're beautiful," Hyde smiled, staring into her green eyes.

Her smile brightened. "Thank you," she giggled, a little embarrassed, but not really, and reached out to touch his dressed-up chest. "I can't believe you're in a tuxedo, Steven…I never thought I'd see it. You…" She ran her thumb along the upper ridge of his cummerbund. "You look amazing."

Hyde grinned. "I clean up good."

"Yeah," Jackie laughed.

Hyde's face turned serious. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Can we talk later," Jackie proposed sweetly, an obligatory smile making an attempt to sooth him. "Please."

Hyde blinked. "I was just wondering what Col…"

Jackie glanced down the hall where everyone had gone. "Oh my God, Steven. Have you seen the inside of the church," she cut in as if he hadn't spoken, and Hyde suspected that it wasn't an accident. "…those flowers…the ones lining the pews… I picked those out," she smiled proudly. "They're white calla lilies, grown special to have that pink splash! Aren't they beautiful?" Jackie finished her dialogue with a nod, her dazed, over-excited eyes settling back into the softer Jackie he was used to dealing with in private. "We'll talk about it later, Steven…I promise…Okay?"

She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek and walked off. His life flashed before his eyes. It was blank. Bright white. He'd never felt so motionless, so trapped inside of a day.

Hyde closed his eyes. "Damn it," he muttered below his breath…

* * *

Fifteen Minutes Later…

Hyde opened a random door. "Kelso!" Nothing. Damn it. He hurried further down the hall to the last door, which led to a large stairwell at the side of the building. It was brightly lit with the natural light of large paned windows.

There, Kelso sat at the first landing.

Hyde waved him over. "Kelso! Man. It's time. Come on."

"Hyde," Kelso stared into nothing, shaking his head. "I need you to tell Brooke I can't."

"What?"

"I can't do this, man." As Hyde stepped in, horrified, Kelso stood up slowly, an ill expression blanching on his face. "Just…Tell her I'm sorry."

Hyde narrowed his eyes in fury. "No fucking way! I'm not telling her that." Without warning, he launched himself down the first flight and grabbed his friend's tuxedo jacket, dragging him out of the stairwell.

Kelso squirmed and shoved back against his friend.

"Cut it out, Hyde!"

Out in the hallway, Eric and Fez ran up, dressed in their tuxes.

"What's going on?" Eric asked, his breathing labored. "Where was he?"

"Shithead, here, is trying to back out," Hyde informed them irately.

"No, Kelso," Fez groaned in disappointment.

"Wait, hang on, Hyde. Let him go." Eric stepped up to the groom as Hyde shoved Kelso away from himself in disgust. "Kelso, man, what's wrong?"

"She's too good for me…" Kelso looked at his friends, near tears. "All I'm going to do is hurt her, man. She's so smart and…good…and responsible…and I'm…me." His shoulder's fell. "How am I supposed to stand up there in front of all those people and…They all know, man! They all know I don't deserve someone like Brooke. I just hold her back."

"Kelso, it doesn't ma…"

"Man, Eric, you can't say _anything_! You ditched Donna the day before the wedding for the same reason."

"They didn't have kids, Kelso!" Hyde shouted. "Now get your ass out there!" He stepped up to Kelso, his jaw set hard. "I'll give you five minutes. We're going to go wait by the priest. If you're not there in five minutes, I'll tell him you ran like a little girl," he nodded. "But if you don't…if you leave her here, Kelso…we're not friends anymore…Got it?" Hyde pivoted around and patted Fez's shoulder. "Let's go."

Eric followed, but Fez hesitated as he stared unblinkingly at his best friend, his face pained, disappointed, before he finally turned to walk away.

Kelso's head fell…

Jackie raised Brooke's train and let it fall back into place with a smile.

"God! I can't _wait_ to be the bride!"

As she said it, though, her smile fell. She kept forgetting. Her choice was made. She would never be one. Not if she wanted Hyde. There was going to have to be a trade-off.

After fanning Brooke's train to perfection, Jackie frowned and stepped around her, getting back into line in front of her, Betsy at her side. "Bets," she whispered down, tapping the daydreaming flower girl.

Betsy handed Jackie her bouquet back.

"Thank you. Now, as we walk, just toss the petals on the ground for your mom to walk on. I'll have to let go of your hand, but I'll be right next to you."

Jackie sighed, then, watching as Donna grabbed Bradley's hand in front of her. Directly in front of Donna stood Brooke's favorite cousin, Danielle, bouquet in hand, ready to lead the bridal party down the aisle.

With each breath, the scent of cold mahogany filled Jackie's nostrils. The feeling made her shiver. This vestibule was just so cold. There was an excitement in the air, though, and a strange sense of déjà vu. She had been here several times. In her dreams. Alone she would stand until her father would step to her ghostly side. The doors would open and a bright light would fill her retinas. Each step after was always slow and lumbering, the ground below her feet thick like wet sand. Always mired down in that special foot glue of dreams, she could never reach the end to find her groom. His face would elude her time and time again, forever indistinguishable.

The dark, mahogany door clicked and Jackie looked up from her dreamful reverie as Colin slipped through. "We're just waiting on Kelso."

"On Michael?" Brooke frowned and glanced worriedly at Red, who simply shrugged.

Stepping over, Colin gave Jackie an appreciative once over and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "You look beautiful," he whispered before straightening up. "Just give him a second," he told Brooke and Red. "I'm sure he just…got tied up or something."

Sideways, Jackie eyed Colin. He was lying. "C'mere!" She yanked him toward her. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," he lied again casually and touched her cheek, a slight, wayward smile crossing his lips. "You'd make a beautiful bride."

A wink made Jackie's heart swoon momentarily. It thumped erratically, questioningly, as he walked back through the double doors and disappeared again, their lookout.

Donna laughed as she watched him go and turned back to Jackie. "What a shit."

"Do you see what I'm dealing with?!"

"Yeah," Donna raised her eyebrows in interest. "He's not giving up on you. I'm surprised after what happened. _Both_ him and Hyde are acting weird today."

Jackie groaned…

Hyde glanced at his watch. He felt sick. "Forman, what do I do?"

"Give him a few more minutes."

Fez came running in from a side door. "He's not there. I think he left," he whispered gruffly to his friends.

"Fuck," Hyde muttered and then smiled sheepishly at the priest, who waited with them. "I mean…_fudge_."

Eric shook his head. "Kelso wouldn't just bail on Brooke…I mean…He's Kelso. Maybe he's just lost."

"It's, like, a ten foot walk!" Hyde snapped.

"Shh! He's gotten lost in less," Eric whispered, frowning. His expression soured. "God. Donna's gonna kill me."

"Why _you_?" Hyde grimaced. "It's Kelso she's going to pummel."

"Nope." Eric shook his head, positive of his claim. "This is just going to remind her of what_ I_ did. She is _going_ to kill me."

Hyde nodded, a worried scowl pinching his face. "Yeah, you're right…Crap…Watch, somehow, in Jackie's brain, this'll all come back to me and Sam. Freaking Kelso. He's ruining it for all of us!"

"That son of a bitch!" Fez grumbled quietly from between them. "I am going to kill him myself!"

Hyde looked at his watch again and waved Colin back down the aisle curtly.

"Tell Jackie, and no one else," he whispered to him. "Tell her to get ready to tell Brooke."

"Shouldn't _you_ tell Brooke?" Fez cut in, nodding politely at an older woman seated in the audience who was eyeing them strangely.

"No," Hyde muttered. "She'll take it better from Jackie."

Colin nodded, agreeing, and walked off.

"Whoa! Colin, wait…"

* * *

Seven Minutes Later…

Giving Red and the girls one final, single nod, Colin pushed open the double mahogany doors, letting in the gentle hum of 'Cannon in D'. The crowd turned, reverberating a sound that echoed loudly. A young boy Colin had enlisted held open one door as Colin held open the other and both waited as Danielle put on a smile, gripped her small bouquet and stepped out.

Ten paces later, Donna grumbled her nervousness and followed with Bradley.

The doors wide open in front of her, a million eyes, two by two, beginning to shift in her direction, Jackie breathed deeply and left the decision to her God-daughter. "You ready, Betsy Bear?"

Betsy, her hair wound in tight, loop curls, looked terribly worried, but nodded still.

"Just look at your flowers. It'll be okay." Taking a deep breath, Jackie stepped through the doorway's threshold with Betsy, conscious of Colin's eyes as she passed him, her own searching for Hyde's and finding them set on her. She ignored the rest.

_Step… Pause… Step... Pause…Step…Pause…_In her head, a favorite Carly Simon song echoed… _Baby Sneezes… Step… Pause… Mommy pleases… Step… Pause… Daddy breezes in…_

Her knees shook. Heart trembled. She was only the maid of honor today, but she understood the importance of the role, the best friend, the keeper of the train, the twinkle in the best man's eye.

Smiling shyly away from Hyde's gaze, Jackie turned her eyes on the priest. It helped her concentration a bit.

Beside her, Betsy's little hands reached into a ribbon-laced basket and haphazardly tossed. Pink rose petals flew only inches and scattered to the floor. Up ahead, Bradley, holding his ring bearer's pillow, yanked on Donna's hand and took off running toward his father.

Jackie had to laugh a little as Kelso picked up his son, kissed his hair, and handed him…and his pillow…back to Hyde.

Donna shook her head, sorry for the slip, but Hyde only nodded at her and popped Bradley higher in his right arm. The other groomsmen laughed quietly as the boy squirmed and reached for his father, giving Hyde a hard time.

Jackie smiled.

_Step… Pause… Step… Pause… So good on paper… Step… Pause… So romantic… Step… Pause… But so bewildering…_

The collective faith in the institution of marriage was evident in the eyes of the people all around her. It was important to them. Meaningful. Even those she knew to be the most skeptical appeared to appreciate its significance. Even Hyde stood a little straighter than usual. To his right, Kelso stood frozen, terrified, but because he, too, believed. They all did today.

The crowd shifted, their bodies twisting more severely backwards. The bride was in view, Jackie knew instantly, and a rumble shook the floor as the music changed. Everybody rose to their feet in respect and tradition, Kelso's mouth opened, and every set of eyes trained on Brooke's slow journey down the aisle with Red, except Hyde's. His smiled at Jackie's as she continued forward.

Step… Pause… Step… Pause… _I know nothing stays the same… But if you're willing to play the game… It's coming around again…_

Jackie reached the end of the line…finally, a feat never even accomplished in her dreams. Looking back sent her mind into a tailspin. Brooke, her best friend in the world, was stunning, and Kelso—Michael—by the looks of him, was more in love than his own body could handle. His overcome eyes were locked on his bride as he accepted her from Red and Brooke's mother, who walked up.

"Who gives this woman in marriage?" the priest asked.

"I do," Caroline Spencer solely responded with a teary smile and kissed the veil over her only daughter's cheek.

"Thanks, mom," Brooke whispered.

As Red and Caroline took their seats on either side of Kitty, across from Kelso's parents, Brooke managed a few steps up toward the priest, with her groom's help.

Jackie knelt down to fix Brooke's train and when she stood, Hyde caught her eye. He was gently frowning at her and she wondered why as the priest began.

"Lord, behold our family here assembled. We thank you for this place in which we dwell, for the love that unites us, for the peace accorded us this day…"

Several minutes passed, at least, and Jackie wobbled on her feet. It was hard to tell how long she had been staring at Hyde, but he was staring back, which wasn't helping her concentration. She blinked to snap out of her trance and peeked toward the back doors, where Colin stood with his head down. Feeling torn, she returned to the ceremony.

_And I believe in love… But what else can I do… I'm so in love with you…_

The priest smiled at Kelso and Brooke, becoming casual for a moment. "I believe you have decided to exchange privately written vows as well as the traditional?"

"We have," Kelso nodded.

"Michael, you may begin," the priest informed him.

"Oh…" Nervously, Kelso glanced around at the audience and then looked at Brooke. "Okay then." He cleared his throat. "Um…Uh…Love is a…" He glanced at the audience again. "Um…"

"Baby, look at me," Brooke whispered, recognizing the expression on his face. He was terrified. His eyes were coated in a thick layer saline.

Kelso returned his dying eyes to Brooke, who chose to prematurely lift her veil back over her head and give him a bright, comforting smile. Her eyes locked on his.

Happily, she nodded, encouraging him to keep going. "It's okay. It's just you and me."

Kelso risked a slight smile, feeling relieved and, for the first time today, like he was not alone. He swallowed and looked down at his piece of paper before crumpling it and stuffing it in his pocket. "I, um," He turned to the priest and then back to Brooke. "I had…Fez write my vows," he admitted apologetically. "He's better at that stuff...I didn't want to disappoint you, baby… But,"—he smiled at her—"sometimes I think you're the only person who never gets disappointed in me." Kelso sighed, readying himself. "I love you, Brooke, and I know that you're really smart and good and…you could do so much better than me…But I know, too, that you love me anyway…I don't know what'd I do if you didn't. I don't even want to think about that…"

Brooke started to cry as he continued.

"…I just wanted to say that us doing it in the bathroom at that Molly Hatchet concert was the best stupid thing I ever did."

Tears in her eyes, Brooke broke out into laughter, making Kelso laugh, too. Neither noticed, nor cared about, the strange glances some in the audience members shared with each other.

Murmuring could be heard, but neither listened.

Kelso smiled, obviously at ease finally. "I promise to love you forever and ever, Brooke, and I will do my best, everyday, to earn you." Timidly, he glanced at the priest. "That's it." He smiled at his bride and silently mouthed an "I love you."

The priest turned to Brooke. "Brooke?"

Brooke smiled at Kelso. "Um, Michael…I borrowed my vows from a Marie Claire magazine." She shook her head, wiping the meaningless words she had memorized from her mind. "I just want to say that…Well, when I was a little girl, I used to think that after my career as a writer slash librarian, maybe when I was thirty-five or so, I would marry some famous novelist or an architect, or some boring schlub like that," she smiled shyly, "…but in the back of my head, I always craved somebody like you. You're my best friend and you're fun and kind and warm…and it's _me_ who's lucky, Michael…God, I used to be so uptight."

"Yeah, you were," Kelso blurted out.

Brooke laughed.

"I so was." She flipped her eyes in exaggeration and shrugged. "But you made me so happy. You make our children so _ridiculously_ happy, Michael. And all I have to say is that you _better_ love me forever and ever because I'm going to be loving you." She smiled and glanced at the priest. "That's all."

Jackie smiled at Hyde, and he winked back, Bradley quietly watching his parents from his arms…

Eleven minutes later, the priest beamed and held up his arms as Kelso and Brooke turned to face their audience.

"Ladies and gentleman! It is my pleasure to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Kelso!"

The entire church erupted into cheers and applause, getting to their feet as Kelso and Brooke happily hurried down the aisle.

Unable to stop her laughter, Jackie took Betsy's hand and met up with Hyde. She hooked her arm in his as they turned forward.

_Baby sneezes…_

Hyde grabbed her hand. "Let's get the hell out of here," he told her over the sound of the crowd, laughing as Bradley clapped excitedly in his arms, screaming and following the crowd's cue.

_Mommy pleases…_

Jackie avoided Colin's face as the four of them approached and passed him. She didn't even want to think about how much it must have hurt to see her and Hyde together like this, children in hand, looking like…a family. He had to know how ingrained Hyde was into her everyday life, though. He had to know.

_Daddy breezes in…_

When the entire wedding party reached the foyer of the church, they all hugged each other, laughing as they recalled Hyde's troubles with Bradley and congratulating Brooke and Kelso, who hugged their excited kids.

And then Hyde pulled Jackie aside.

"Hey, I need to talk to you," he whispered in her ear. His eyes darted around the crowd as if they were getting ready to exchange secret government information. "Back here."

Hyde pulled Jackie around a corner toward some benches and pinned her to the wall, covering her mouth with his. Her eyes shot open as his slick tongue thrust past her lips and took her breath, but only a second later she settled deeply into the kiss and flung her arms around his neck.

Her passion for weddings and marriage, for once, was not being misplaced or pushed away, but being released where it was welcomed enthusiastically…for today at least. It was not hard for her imagine being his new bride as she kissed him…Dressed to the hilt as the whole world watched…Melting into warm molasses at the love in his eyes as he publicly proclaimed his devotion to her…

_And now you may kiss your bride… _

A long minute later, Hyde pulled back and frowned at Jackie.

"What?" Jackie asked him, dazed and wondering if he had noticed that she was fantasizing. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't like that you had to kneel down and fix her dress like that."

"What? Steven, I'm the maid of honor. That's my job."

He clutched the sides of her head. "People should be doing that for you."

"What?"

"Jackie! Hyde!" Donna turned the corner and grabbed Jackie's hand. "We have to take pictures now before it starts raining again. Come on."

"No, wait!" Struggling to get free from Donna, Jackie placed her scattered gaze on Hyde again. Her free hand grasped at his tuxedo coat. "What did you mean by that?"

Hyde only blinked.

"Come on!" Donna insisted and yanked on Jackie. "It's sunny!"

"Ugh! I hate you, Donna!"

"They're here!" Donna yelled out as they ran out into the cold, windy, but temporarily sunny December afternoon.

Jackie looked behind herself at Hyde. He was following.

Like a rag doll, she was grabbed by the shoulders every few minutes, placed into position by the jerky photographer, and expected to smile fabulously, which she did, of course, but she was aching to talk to Hyde more than anything. She should have been enjoying this more, but his words tortured her mind. She was probably over-thinking it, but damn it! What if she wasn't?

A while later, the photographer looked around. "Ok, now, I need just the maid of honor and best man, please."

_Yes!_

Jackie smiled wide and ran over to the bench she was directed to stand in front of. Hyde met her there.

"Ok, now…"

Hyde put his hand around to Jackie's hip and struck his same disinterested pose, casually reminding the photographer that he wasn't going to be the most cooperative best man ever. Next to him, Jackie clutched her bouquet and smiled like a loon.

"Yeah, okay," the photographer shrugged and got behind his camera.

"What did you mean?" Jackie held her smile.

A picture was snapped, but they held our pose for another.

"You tell me something first," Hyde whispered, keeping his eyes on the camera.

Jackie's smiled fell slightly. "What?"

"What were you and Colin talking about?"

"I already told you…me and you are fine. I wish you would stop acting jealous."

"Jackie, you just slept with him last week," Hyde reminded her calmly, his gaze steadily set on the camera, as was Jackie's. "I have a right to be jealous. I have a right to be pissed, too, but I'm not anymore, as long as I know it's over."

"Fine."

"_Okay, now I need the parents of the bride and groom…"_

Jackie and Hyde relaxed and faced each other.

Jackie glared at his stubborn expression. "I am not going to do this with you today, Steven. I have enough to deal with from Colin. I don't need it from you, too."

Hyde raised his eyebrows, apathetic to her words. They were not what he wanted to hear.

"Will you please just let me have today to figure out how to deal with this?" Jackie asked while her flirtatious fingers pinched at his stomach. "Please," she pouted.

Hyde thought it over. "Fine…But I don't have to like it."

"Fine," Jackie accepted and smiled in anticipation. "Now," she clapped. "What did you mean back in the church?"

Hyde grinned, taking a glance at Colin in the distance, as he stepped around her slowly and spoke into her ear. "I wouldn't want to interrupt your Colin time with what I was thinking."

"What?!" Jackie growled angrily, her body shaking as it tensed. "Steven, get back here…Ugh!"

Her head turned slightly; she could swear she heard a light chuckle come from the direction he had gone. This was the most infuriating day ever and it was only half over…

* * *

Forty-Five Minutes Later

2:45 p.m.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Lakeside-South Marriot Hotel

"…I would kiss you…and put my hands on your thighs…right here…and I would pull this up until your panties showed…so I could feel them…right here…I'll bet they'd be wet by then…right…_here_…and if not, I would _make_ them wet."

Jackie swallowed in her delirium. "H-h-how would you do that…baby?" she exhaled into Hyde's ear and closed her eyes.

"I'd kiss you_harder_… the way you like it…and slip my fingers beneath the…"

"…_the best man and maid of honor: Steven Hyde and Jacqueline Burkhart…" _

"Damn it."

Quickly linking arms, Hyde and Jackie put on plastic smiles, each their own, and stepped out into the reception room, eyed by nearly two hundred people as they were forced to separate at the table reserved for the wedding party. Two empty seats sat between them.

"To be continued," Hyde muttered across the seats.

Jackie giggled.

"…_and finally,"_the wedding coordinator gestured from the DJ's booth for everyone to stand,_ "may I introduce to you the groom and bride, Michael and Brooke Kelso, and their two children, Betsy and Bradley."_

"Whoo!" Jackie screamed loudly and clapped as the family of four emerged into their reception, all smiles. She had to laugh back at Hyde when she heard him mockingly scream out a fettered 'whoo', too.

Brooke and Kelso handed the kids over to their parents and sat down between Jackie and Hyde.

"Thanks, man," Kelso mumbled privately to his best man as he scooted in.

Hyde nodded.

"I wasn't going to leave her there, you know…I was just…scared," Kelso said, obviously disappointed in himself.

"I know, man," Hyde assured him as he scanned the crowd, keeping some distance from the heart to heart.

"Would you have really stopped being my friend?" Kelso asked.

"Nah…I'd have probably just kicked your ass…You know, the usual."

Pleased, Kelso nodded, taking his opportunity as Hyde looked over. "It's not so scary, you know…Hyde. It actually feels pretty good, knowing she's yours…and no one else's."

Hyde pinched his lips together in a downward grin and looked away again, furtively and selfishly delighted that Kelso, once one of Colin's main supporters, seemed to finally be on his side on this one.

Clink! Clink! Clink…

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

The DJ Brooke hired flipped a record and placed it down smoothly, setting the spindle to "I Love You" by Climax Blues Band…

…_When I was younger man, I hadn't a care  
Foolin' around, hitting the town, growing my hair  
You came along and stole my heart when you entered my life  
Ooh, babe, you got what it takes so I made you my wife…_

After the first toast had been made by Kelso's father, Hyde found himself at the edge of the dance floor, standing beside Jackie, watching Kelso sway his new bride to their first dance, to the song he had chosen for them, his only task.

Hyde heard a sniffle and looked over at Jackie with a curious frown. "Are you crying?"

"No," she lied and dabbed at her eyes.

_Since then I never looked back  
It's almost like living a dream  
And ooh I love you_

Together, they watched the way Kelso looked at his wife, the way he moved her, so gently, to the music. She was precious in his arms. It was apparent.

Hyde heard another sniffle and quietly laughed. "Come on, Weepy." He offered his hand to Jackie. It was their turn. "Dance with me?"

Jackie smiled. "Oh, 'cause it's our turn, isn't it? We're next."

He nodded. "We're next."

Entering the near empty dance floor was intimidating. All eyes were on them, many shaped in a whimsical manner that unsettled Hyde, but he held his focus on Jackie and comfortably pulled her toward him, his mind toiling with the silent hope that Colin was witnessing their every move. Hyde wasn't proud enough to admit it out loud, but he couldn't escape the desire to shove it in Colin's face, and to claim Jackie as his own.

She was _his_ first, after all.

He forgot his worries, though, when Jackie smiled happily and began to sway beneath his lead. This moment was heaven to her. That was apparent, too.

_You came along from far away and found me here  
I was playin' around, feeling down, hittin' the beer  
You picked me up from off the floor and gave me a smile  
You said "You're much too young. Your life ain't begun. Let's walk for awhile."_

Jackie rested her head on his shoulders. "I love you so much, Steven," she whispered to him. "And if I have to give this up for you, I will."

At a loss for words, Hyde pulled her into a hug and continued their dance, grateful for the other bodies that joined on the floor. It let them blend in and disappear.

Hyde frowned. She would trade this for him, this event that she loved and the particular life—her dream life—that followed. That was a good thing, right? That was what he wanted. So then had he won? Should he celebrate? He didn't know.

_Since then I never looked back  
It's almost like living a dream  
And ooh I love you…_

Clink! Clink! Clink!

Just before dinner, Hyde stood up and raised his champagne flute.

"Um…I was told that I'm supposed to make a toast…Best Man thing or something." Hyde sighed. "I don't really have a lot to say—surprise—but," He looked down at Kelso and Brooke. "You were right, Kelso. She's too good for you." Everyone made a face, unsure if they should frown or smile. "But…the thing is…she's too good for everyone. That's what you have to understand, man." Hyde smirked. "It doesn't mean you don't deserve her, though…You're a good guy, Kelso."

"Thanks, man."

Brooke laughed. "Yes, thank you, Hyde."

"Uh…To Brooke and Kelso…"

And so the time ticked by, the meter fast approaching red. A minute became several as the part continued. Hyde couldn't help but notice when Jackie left her seat with her champagne and a small plate of food, never to return. The room was dark, but not too dark to distinguish a face, especially one like hers. He looked around and it wasn't until the crowd parted that he found her, talking with her ex-fiancé.

Christie was also part of their conversation, but Hyde found little comfort in that fact.

They looked happy, normal, as if October had tumbled straight into December, having skipped over November completely, having skipped _them_. And what was that month anyway, but a few lazy, rainy weeks? Though his eyes had been open, Hyde wondered if hers had ever been.

Was she as affected as he was? Was she _as_ in love?

And it continued on like that for over an hour. Dinner passed, toasts were made—Jackie's from her seat between Colin and Christie—and the cake was cut. Through it all, Hyde sat alone, minus his ten minutes with Fez and Amy, who both tried to keep him preoccupied, but failed, and his beer with Red, in which he was told to man up and propose.

The truth was he was wallowing, feeling unwanted and abandoned…like a chump. Worse, he felt unloved, which was even more foolish, because he knew she loved him; it just _felt_ like she didn't.

Didn't she want to hang out with him _at all_, though? They were having a good time, he thought. He'd made her laugh and smile and shudder with arousal. Was it all that bad? Or was Colin just that fucking good? Was he actually talking her back toward himself? Reminding her that she could do better? Was he offering every shiny thing that they both knew Jackie would follow?

Hyde rubbed his fingers to his eyes. He was over-thinking this, but it didn't change the fact that he was becoming paranoid and angry, or the fact that he missed her. He was lonely without her, at least until he felt her lips on the back of his neck and felt her arms slide over his shoulders and down his chest.

"Thank you," was all she whispered, leaving kisses all over his ears and neck.

Hyde sighed. "You're welcome…"

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

The Front Lawn of the Lakeside-South Marriot Hotel

Peering through the light drizzle, Hyde narrowed his eyes and nodded, his lips pursed in annoyance. "Fine. You want to do this? Let's go."

Eric began to panic and stepped toward Hyde. "Wait, what are you doing, man?"

Colin shrugged. "Let's go, then." He pulled off his suit jacket and tossed it at Fez. "Hold this." Fez hooked it over his arm immediately, his eyes wide and waiting.

In response, Hyde slipped off his tuxedo jacket and bowtie and held them out to Kelso. "Hold this."

"I don't wanna."

"Hold it!" Hyde ordered.

"Fine!" Kelso roared, snatching the coat and tie from his friend. "But if Brooke comes out here, I'm dead." Then, he turned to Eric and pulled his wallet out. "Put me down for ten on Colin."

"What!" Hyde wailed indignantly. "You don't think I can kick _his_ ass?"

Kelso looked around nervously at everyone and leaned toward Hyde to whisper. "Well, yeah, but, the other day…"

"I let him do that on_ purpose_, Kelso," Hyde growled.

"I know! But…"

"All those times I kicked your ass, man?!" Hyde's jaw set into a stiff clench. "Should I remind you right now?"

Kelso pondered. "Alright, fine. I'll put ten on Colin and ten on Hyde," he wagered again to Eric. "There. You happy now? God."

Hyde shook his head, incredulous.

"Me, too." Fez handed Eric a pair of twin bills. "Ten on both."

As the money exchanged hands, Eric frowned. "You guys _are_ aware of how betting works, right?"

"You're going to fight back this time?" Colin asked Hyde, appearing pleased as he pulled up his sleeves.

"Yeah, I'm gonna kick your ass this time, too."

"What are you guys doing?!"

"Oh, crap. It's Donna," Kelso shouted, instantly ruining all chance of deceit. "Put the cash away, Eric!"

"What's going on," she asked again, searching the motionless, guilt-ridden faces around her for an answer. "Hello!"

Neither Colin nor Hyde flinched, though, and the redhead's sudden presence. They only continued to glare at each other, still as statues until Hyde punched Colin in the mouth, forcing him backwards a few feet.

"Augh, Hyde!" Fez groaned. "You couldn't wait?"

"No."

"Hyde! What the hell is going on?!" Her eyes wide, Donna looked at Eric, her scolding tone growing more volatile by the syllable. "This is what you guys are doing out here? Fighting?! This is Brooke's wedding day…Can't you put this crap aside until tomorrow?" She turned her attention to Colin, calmer. "Colin, are you okay?"

Frowning, Colin looked at his bloodied fingers as they left his lips. "You hit like a girl."

"Colin!" Donna scolded him. "You're not help…"

Hyde punched him again, though, harder this time, before she could finish.

Donna tossed her hand in the air in defeat as Colin stumbled back, wincing at the pain in his mouth. "That's it," she threatened smartly. "I'm telling Jackie."

"No!" every male voice yelled out, including both Colin and Hyde.

"She'll be pissed," Hyde blurted as Colin's fist struck his face, breaking his entire train of thought. He wandered away, shaking off the pain. "God, damn it."

"Fuck," Colin shook his hand, still sore from two days before. "Your face is like stone."

"Probably 'cause he's been 'stoned' so many times," Fez snickered and waved everyone off.

Hyde returned, his breathing heavy. "You want a second?"

Colin nodded, his expression just as pained. "Thanks."

"What's going on?" Jackie's voice rang out like the round bell. "What are you guys all doing out here," she asked suspiciously, hotly aware that Colin and Hyde were facing each other in the center of a jagged circle of her friends.

Hyde glanced at Colin, catching the Irishman's wary look, and then returned to Jackie. "We're uh…We're…just,"—he grinned and shook his head—"hanging out…Having fun. It's…" He glanced at Colin again.

"Just hanging out, baby," Colin threw in. "Fun."

Ignoring the pet name, Hyde nodded. "Hanging out…Having fun…Right… gang?"

"Having fun."

"Hanging out."

"You guys are hanging out," Jackie repeated, sounding unconvinced.

"Having fun, too."

All the men nodded as Jackie grimaced at them and then turned to Donna. "Donna?"

Rolling her eyes, Donna shrugged.

"You guys aren't fighting again, are you?" Jackie asked Colin and Hyde.

"Us?" Hyde scoffed. "No way."

Colin shook his head. "Were just hav…"

"Yeah, having fun and hanging out. I heard." Jackie looked around warily. "Well as long as you both aren't fighting…I don't think I could handle that today…Come on, Donna. Brooke wants us."

Jackie dragged Donna away and, when they disappeared back into the building, Hyde stepped.

"Crap."

Colin sighed. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Hesitantly, Hyde agreed and stepped aside with his enemy.

"Look," Colin began. "I think you know why I'm still here. I'm not just gonna let you have her," he laughed sourly. "All I'm saying is…I'm willing to give her things you're not. She wants all this stuff. And the only reason she's not taking is because of some promise she made to you this morning."

"She said that," Hyde asked flatly.

"No, but she keeps mentioning it," Colin admitted. "Look. If you really give a shit about her at all, you'll let her have the choice. If it's still you, then I'll…" Colin let out a breath and it was then that Hyde saw that Colin was just as deep in as him. "I'll…" He shrugged. "…walk away…"

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

Standing behind his dark booth, the DJ set down on the turntable a Jefferson Starship record…

_Go now  
Don't look back, we've drawn the line  
Move on  
It's no good to go back in time_

Enough was enough.

Hyde glowered ahead angrily, sick of the way he was feeling. Tired of watching her and wanting, feeling like he couldn't have. There were a billion chicks in this world and it was this one that his heart demanded he have, and this, the only, that he was going to have to fight to get—probably in vain.

Why did he agree to be patient today? It was not a virtue he excelled at.

_I'll never find another girl like you  
For happy endings it takes two  
We're fire and ice  
Our dream won't come true…_

Hyde gave up and looked her way again. She was across the large room, laughing pleasantly and flipping her hair at captivated wedding guests. The darkness only made her shine against the others more. Lights sparkled between her dark tresses as she leaned down and spoke to Kelso's mother, her smiling face beautiful—limbs lithe as she walked away, as if she was submerged in liquid and not the buoyant air that everyone else enjoyed.

Hyde had to admit, he was captivated, too, and living every minute with the memories of what it felt like to be pressed against every inch what he found to be perfection, to be warmed by those limbs and loved by her tireless declarations. Even the memory of her soft whispers made his eyes close here, so far away from the intimacy itself.

\When Hyde re-opened his eyes, he shook his head, his bitter scowl cutting deeper into the skin between his eyes. He hated that he was beginning to feel like he couldn't live without that feeling that she gave him. Like food or water or oxygen, that warm feeling of joining her completely, of connecting with her, was becoming relevant to his survival. To irritate her, or make her laugh, or yell, or writhe, made him feel full and it was always why her extensive absence was timed perfectly with his mental death, leaving a vacancy for the inner monster to fill and then rip to pieces the source of his pain.

Or was that just him, he wondered? A monster down deep. An unfeeling bastard, deserving of no better than a Las Vegas stripper, not the beautiful girl that mesmerized, and horrified, the crowd in front of him.

Trash.

"You're Bud."

His eyes growing wide with horror, Hyde looked behind himself at the source of those acid words. "What?"

"Your Bud," the bartender repeated, holding out the tapped Budweiser Hyde had requested.

"Oh." Hyde grabbed it warily, still eyeing the man, waiting for him to strike at him again with that feared truth. "Thanks."

He dropped a tip and took a cautious swig, tensing as he turned back around and witnessed Colin slip his arms around Jackie from behind, halting her activities as he spoke into her ear with a solemn expression. She seemed to stiffen when she realized who had her but still responded to his whispers.

An electric current of adrenaline surged ruthlessly into Hyde's heart, his eyes watching Jackie's every move, analyzing the position of her fingers as they touched Colin's hands… his forearms. She wasn't smiling, but she wasn't frowning either, not in anger anyway.

Hyde seared with jealousy. That warm feeling was not his alone. Colin's face told it all.

"You're going to just stare at them all night?" Donna asked, taking a seat beside him.

_Fuck. _

Immediately, Hyde turned himself around to face the bar, unable, but trying, to clear his face of all expression.

"You know, the day's almost over, Hyde."

Hyde guzzled his beer and slapped the empty cup on the bar. "Yeah. I think I'm gonna head home soon... No way I'm gonna watch this crap all night," he let slip.

"So, what, you're just giving up?"

"I guess."

Donna scoffed. "You set yourself up _every_ time."

"What?"

"You know, don't you dare get mad when she goes home with him tonight."

"What?" He was curter this time, pissed as he spun to face her. "Are you _trying_ to piss me off?"

"Yes!" Donna replied sharply. "I am actually…Be _something_, Hyde. You can't just let him have her like that without a fight."

"Why not?"

"Because you _love_ her."

The statement came out as more of a notification than a reminder, as if he had not already known this, and Hyde blinked at her, wondering when he had become so obvious. Donna was usually blind as a bat when it came to him and Jackie. All the while, though, twisted thoughts burned at his back.

What were they doing?

Hyde turned around to see what Donna was looking at, his glower worsening. Jackie and Colin were facing each other now—too close for his own comfort.

"You want the truth, Donna?" Hyde murmured, never taking his eyes of them.

"Sure."

Before he could part his lips to speak, though, Hyde saw Jackie's hand touch Colin's stomach and pet downwards. She was straightening his shirt, caring for and grooming him as he smiled and leaned closer to her. Jackie returned the smile and the pain that raked through Hyde's chest began to build. He was losing her again; it was happening in front of his eyes, and the knot in his throat, the twenty year old wall that blocked all words from escaping his mouth would not allow him to protest. It never failed. _He_… _never_ failed to fail.

"Hyde," Donna's voice cut into his thoughts.

Beside him, she rolled her eyes at herself, so used to teasing him, so used to assuming he was hard as stone. But he wasn't. He was just extremely talented at pretending he was.

Donna had to sigh for her paralyzed friend. "You know…It's _okay_ to love her. It doesn't make you're weak. And we all already know anyway. If you want the truth, we've always made fun of you more because you deny it."

Hyde grimaced. "Who's denying it?" he bit tersely, snapping his head toward her. "I'm in love with Jackie."

"Oh." Donna's face turned blank with astonishment. "Well good then," she uttered and turned forward, frowning to herself. "A Budweiser, please." The bartender nodded. "So then what are you gonna do?" she asked Hyde.

"Drink my beer."

"Oh, yeah. Great plan. 'Cause that did wonders for you the last time."

"Look," Hyde turned sideways toward her again, watching as she gulped down her beer. "How can I compete with that guy? He's better than me in every conceivable way. The last time I checked, he's never been to Vegas, and he looks like one of those underwear guys in her stupid magazines!"

Brooke sauntered up to the bar, appearing slightly toasted. "Can I get another whiskey sour?" She smiled at Donna and Hyde. "Hey! What are we talking about?"

"Colin in his underwear," Donna blurted out.

"Ooooh!" Brooke cooed.

"Pft. See!" Hyde moved to get up.

"Sit down!" Donna grabbed him, laughing as she forced him back into his seat. "Can he get another beer, please?" she nodded to the bartender, who placed one down immediately. "Drink," she ordered Hyde.

"What's the matter with Hyde," Brooke giggled, pinching his cheeks and making him grimace. "You're always so mad."

"You're drunk," he sneered at the bride.

"No," she corrected, tapping his nose. "I'm the bride. I'm tipsy. It's prettier…So where's my maid of honor?"

Hyde tipped his head. "Over there with Don Juan el Lucky Charms."

"Oh!" Brooke turned to see Colin and Jackie across the room, still locked in their rather intimate looking discussion. "Oh…" her tone darkened. "That's why you're so grumpy."

"Oh, he's always grumpy," Kitty threw in to everyone's surprise, and grabbed her Bloody Mary off the bar before walking over. "He's my little Broody McBroodster!" She pinched his cheeks, too, laughing along with Brooke as Donna smiled at Hyde's pissy expression.

He rolled his eyes. "Lucky me. Two hundred people here and I'm stuck with the drunk chicks…and not the good kind either."

"Hey!" Brooke pointed, immediately switching thoughts. "Why are you letting him win? And I think you're very good looking, Hyde, just as cute as Colin."

"He thinks Colin is better than him," Donna announced, obviously seeking assistance. Probably so they could gang up on him again, Hyde figured.

Brooke shrugged. "Well Colin _is_ better."

"Brooke!"

"What?! As far as Jackie's well-being is concerned, yes, Colin is _probably_ the better choice for her – No offense, Hyde - but Colin is not who she wants."

Sucking down her drink, Kitty shook her head, her eyes glazing with further drunkenness as she spoke. "Jackie has been in love with my Steven since he was a small boy. Oh, you should have seen her, chasing him around like a little yapping puppy dog,"—Kitty giggled—"yap, yap, yap, yap, yap! And he would fight and fight, insisting he hated her, but everyone could see that he was always tickled by Jackie."

"I couldn't," Donna admitted.

"Well that's because you're not very observant, dear." Kitty waved Donna off. "Half the time you had your head right up your own butt."

Hyde grimaced. "Tickled?"

Kitty ignored him. "See. Steven's a little slower than most when it comes to his feelings toward women," she explained to Brooke. "I blame his mother."

"Me, too," Fez agreed, slipping between Hyde and Kitty to grab his Pina Colada. "Edna was one cold-hearted bitch."

Eric walked up with Kelso trailing close behind. "Why is everyone over here?"

Hyde drew in an annoyed breath. "Christ." Too many people. He tried to get up again, but Donna used her abnormally mannish-type strength on him.

"Hyde," she started again as the others, besides Eric, became distracted by the bride and groom. "Let me tell you something you might not know…"

Eric and Hyde both listened.

"You know how Jackie used to always nag you about stuff…constantly droning on about weddings and weather teams to the point where you actually considered using Shotzie's muzzle on her?"

Hyde raised his eyebrow at the memory, a slight smile lifting his cheeks.

"She doesn't do that anymore. I mean, she nagged Colin a little about marriage, but nothing like you got. No weather teams or morning talk shows or plans of becoming the next Sonny and Cher." Donna rolled her eyes with a smile. "You always used to get so mad at her. Sometimes you didn't, but I wonder if you ever really understood where it was all coming from."

"She's crazy," Hyde sneered. "That's where it all came from."

Eric shook his head as Donna continued. "Yes, she is, but that's not why. All she wanted, Hyde, was to be with you. It wasn't about her irrational love of weather teams and ice capades. She was just searching for something that would tie you to her, anything she could find. Granted, she was searching in the wrong places, but she was trying."

Hyde took a deep breath and raised his head to Jackie, frowning after her in thought. He shook his head. "I don't know."

Eric sighed. "Man, all you can do is let her know how you feel. When Donna was with Casey—who, may I add, showed up fat and with a tuxedo shirt on,"—He smiled triumphantly—"I just had to step back and hope that she would find her way back to me."

"And when he was being a jerk," Donna added. "—as he usual was at the time—it only pushed me away."

"He's going to try and kiss her," Fez cut in surreptitiously, squeezing himself in between Hyde and Donna.

"What?" Hyde perked up and looked at Jackie as Fez pointed at them. Everyone watched intently.

"You see how Colin just tipped his head," Fez continued, receiving several nods. "Ooh. Uh-oh. Now he's looking at her lips…"

"Shit!" Hyde shot up from his seat and disappeared into the crowd.

Donna grimaced. "Crap. Do you think he listened to anything we said?"

Eric shook his head and caught the bartender's attention with a wave. "Nope…"

Hyde slipped up to Jackie and Colin. "Hey."

Jackie beamed. "Steven!"

Colin smiled to himself and looked down, fully aware that Hyde's sudden arrival was not coincidental.

"Can we talk for a second?" Hyde asked Jackie, animating his face to ensure she followed without question.

"Yeah. Sure." She looked at Colin. "I'll be back. Okay? Don't move."

"Don't worry about it," Colin offered apathetically. "I think I'm just going to go."

Hyde huffed and turned his head away. There was no competing with this fucking guy. He knew all the right Jackie moves, as he should.

Frantically, Jackie shook her head. "No!" Her eyes were pained and locked on Colin. "Stay…Please. I'll be right back."

Hyde rolled his eyes. Score another one for Colin. His jaw pressed his teeth like a vice as Jackie grabbed his hand and led him away. He couldn't help but leave Colin with a triumphant, wicked grin, though, and the image of him slipping his arm around her waist as they walked off together.

Score one for Hyde.

"You need to stop that," Jackie muttered as she pulled him around the corner near the restrooms.

"He's been doing it to _me_ all fuckin' night, Jackie."

"Steven, grow up. Both of you need to." Jackie spun around to face him and set her back against a wall. "Now what? What was so important?"

Crap. Now he felt stupid as she stared at him expectantly. Her eyebrows flew up, her hands flew out, and he had no idea what he was going to say. He hadn't thought much past getting her away from him, and then it struck. Plain as day. Years and years of what he thought he knew spinning down the drain.

He couldn't watch her forever, no more than he could keep her away from him. If it was what she wanted, it was what she would get. He had to at least know that much by now. His shoulders fell, sinking with the absolution that he was helpless.

"Steven."

"I…" So what did this mean? He was going to have to beg? Fall to his knees and grovel like an idiot? Plant some calculated proposal on his lips and watch her take the bait like a hungry carp?

Would it even matter?

This was not the Jackie he'd left behind in 1979. The one who was willing to give up everything for him. This was the one who didn't need his promises anymore, because someone else, someone better, was willing to give them. Hyde knew could never again make her feel for him what she had felt all those years before, nor could he take back the pain he had inflicted, and so he didn't know what to do. But something inside him refused to bait her with marriage in order to keep her. He just had to hope that whatever it was they had left was enough. "I just… wanted to let you know something."

"What?"

He hesitated, though, for a brief moment, and watched her smile. Her hands skimmed his stomach and moved around to his back. Then she rose on her tiptoes and made their noses touch, bringing them into their bubble, where the breath between them was the only air they breathed.

"Come on," she cooed. "What?"

Hyde relaxed. "You're off the hook."

"What?" Jackie lowered herself slightly. "What are you talking about?"

"You can pick whoever you want."

"Steven."

"Just let me talk, please. For once. Don't interrupt me."

She was quiet.

"You're off the hook," he repeated, nuzzling her cheek with his, speaking in her ear. "You can pick him and I won't be mad. I won't…treat you like crap like I did before. I promise…But…I want you to pick me." Hyde hugged her tighter. "I won't hurt you. And I will_ never _leave you again, not unless you want me to."

"Steven," Jackie let out, but was muted by his soft lips as they suddenly kissed hers. It was slow at first and grew in intensity, heated by friction. Ripples of pleasure weakened her strength and her body gave in, pushing deeper against his for more. But he pulled away, leaving her debilitated as he kissed her forehead and then walked away.

Her breathing still labored, Jackie fell against the wall and closed her eyes…

* * *

Hyde moved quickly past Eric and Donna and out the main doors into the lobby, where he stopped to pace. 

"Fuck!"

"Hyde." Eric and Donna walked up, confused as they watched him pace left and then right. "What happe…"

"Shit. _Why_ the hell did I just say that?"

Donna frowned. "What'd you say?"

"I listened to your crappy advice!" Hyde accused Eric pointedly. "I told her to pick whoever's gonna make her happy, that I won't be mad… God, damn it. Why did I do that?"

"Hyde," Donna rebuked in her boyfriend's defense. "It's not his fault…You did it because you care about her…It's a good thing…She'll choose you…Relax."

Hyde pointed at Eric. "If she picks him, I'm kicking your ass." He sat down and dropped his head into his hands. "Shit…"

* * *

The quiet DJ, perched in his booth, set up the next song: Cool Night, by Paul Davis… 

_I sometimes wonder why  
All the flowers had to die  
I dream about you  
And now, summer's come and gone  
And the nights they seem so long_

"Will you dance with me?"

Surrounded by the balmy darkness of the dance floor, Jackie nodded cautiously at Colin. His face was tired, and sad, and it was a familiar song, danced to once in a Manhattan park on a warm summer night. Tears burned the surface of her eyes. He looked so handsome today, just like that night, and everything, every movement he made, felt so final, like something she needed to remember, because when it passed, it would truly be gone forever.

It's gonna be a cool night  
Just let me hold you  
By the firelight  
If it don't feel right  
You can go…

Colin took her hand and, grabbing her waist gently, pulled her close.

They began to dance.

"You look so handsome today, Colin." Several tears fell easily. There was no more use in trying to stop them.

Colin leaned down, placing his lips near her ear. Jackie waited for the customary response. "We can get through this, Jackie," he murmured instead, making it clear that he had not yet given up on her. "I can forgive you…But I can't lose you…Not like _this_."

The sway of their bodies, smooth to the music, and the close proximity of their mouths, mixed with the heady awareness that they could no longer touch, seemed to bring forth the breath in Colin and he laid a warm, wet series of kisses on her neck.

Jackie closed my eyes. "Colin, please don't do this."

"Do you love me?" he whispered.

Dejectedly, she nodded. "Yes, but..."

She watched his hand dip into his inside jacket pocket and retrieve her favorite velvet box. His eyes held little hope, but they shined with a sad sort of love, warm and inviting. Jackie was frozen, unaware that they had stopped dancing as he placed her engagement ring back on her shaking finger.

He stared at it. "I'm moving to New York…There are a lot of jobs out there for me…" He looked up. "I want you to come with me, Jackie." Hope returned to his face inside the aqua color of his dancing eyes. "Please."

"What?! You're moving?" Jackie asked tearfully, the thought of him leaving striking her hard in the throat. "Why?"

"I don't want to be here anymore." He shook his head. "But I love _you_…So will you come with me? We can forget about all this shit, get an apartment, eat… take-out until we get settled. You'll just have to give me time, but I know we can make it out there. And I just need to know that you're done with him…that there's a thousand miles between him and us."

Jackie shook my head inexplicably, her head clouded with tears. It was the only movement my body could make as he continued, turning toward her ear again to whisper. "I'll never hurt you, Jackie."

Jackie closed her eyes again.

"I know you won't," she bawled, burying her face into his chest as he hugged her tightly and kissed her head.

He let go, though, much too quickly, and stepped back with pleading eyes. "Come over."

"What?"

"My place…I know you have things to do here, but…" He palms warmed her wet cheeks. "Will you come over when the reception's over? Just…to talk, that's all. You don't have to make any decisions tonight." Hastily, he kissed her cheek, catching the corner of her mouth. "God, you're beautiful…I'll see you."

And he was gone, with not another word said. All that remained of him was the warm ring of gold on her finger. It burned with promise…

* * *

Fifteen Minutes Later

Ron, the DJ, danced in place as he decided to, once again, slow down the tempo and slipped on the new Prince album, playing Purple Rain…

_I never meant to cause you any sorrow  
I never meant to cause you any pain  
I only wanted to one time see you laughing  
I only wanted to see you laughing in the purple rain…_

Alone, Hyde sat, staring at the floor.

He wasn't aware of it, but the look on his face was bleak. He should have known. He couldn't stop staring at the lights that swirled around the faux marble floor in front of him. He couldn't wake, either—no matter what stimulus greeted him—from his slated trance. Likewise, he didn't want to. The reverie was so heavy on his shoulders, its thick cloud weighing so grave on his mind, that complete consciousness would have required something that he had little left to spare: will.

He had tried, hadn't he?

It just all hit so fast. From some random moment in time, it took him two hours to realize she was still in his head. Six for his body to release back into her custody. Nine days for his defiant mind to follow. Eighteen for his heart to admit its stubborn hold on her. Twenty-one to drop to his knees in defeat.

And now here he was, a slave to her impulsive whim, the last place he ever wanted to be.

But he'd done all he could—other than dangle marriage in front of her—hadn't he? Hyde sat back in his seat and sighed. The painful truth being that, even with everything in his limited arsenal, it was possible that he was just too late.

"Hey."

Hyde looked up, where his relinquished gift feigned him a smile. "Hey."

Becoming serious, Jackie sat down on his lap. "We need to talk." The look in her eyes told him her news was grim…and very final.

"About what?" Hyde suddenly felt sick.

At that, she turned down her eyes. Hyde watched her eyebrows crease in small spasms as she deliberated and mused over what was to be, he assumed, his "thoughtful" rejection. He waited, though, and as he did, he noticed something sparkle from her finger.

He wasn't angry, though. This was more severe than anger. Anger had dissipated long ago, as it required too much energy.

No. This was emptiness, the blackest of all emotions. This was inadequacy and its sudden vindication over his life. This was his end, and so depression washed over and engulfed him in accordance. The meter stopped. He'd run out of time and now he was drowning, sinking deeper into himself.

"You have to remember, Steven…" Her soft voice cracked. "Before you came back into my life, I had plans. I wanted so much to get married and have kids with him. I…He was my only world. Can you understand that?"

Hyde didn't answer. He could understand. He just couldn't speak. He couldn't move. His eyes simply returned to the lights on that marble floor as she continued.

"Steven? Please just understand… Please?" She was tearful now. Sad. Pleading with him to let her go, or something like that.

Could he?

Hyde nodded. Of course he could. He would do anything for her. It was a stomach-turning sentiment to admit to, even privately.

"He wants to marry me still," she mused, baffled by the idea. Her left hand slipped between them to show him, again, the shining two carat diamond that had defeated him. "I don't understand it, Steven. How could he want me still…after what I did?"

Hyde huffed then. He knew the last question well. But he couldn't stand it anymore.

Jackie's eyed widened at the sudden fury on his face. "No!" She shook her head frantically, panicked. "No. Steven. I'm going to give it back."

Desperation kicked in, and anger poured back into his mouth and eyes and ears. "Then give it back, Jackie!" He removed her body from his and stood, bringing his fingers to his eyes.

"Well…I…" She was stammering as she stood up, too. "I can't, Steven! He went home. He wants me to go talk to him."

Hyde lowered his hand. "_More_ talking?!"

But her mind was elsewhere as he seethed in place, her pensive eyes on his marble floor. "He told me he still loves me… Can you believe that? Who does that after what happened? He wants me to move to New York with him. He says he can forgive me."

Hyde watched her closely. She was genuinely bewildered. But he also saw the intrigue swirling in her eyes. Her ridiculous dream was within her reach.

Hyde sighed. A symphony of random curse words bombarded his head, his body wanting to fight as he tried to detach myself from her. Instead, he swallowed and then relaxed.

He'd lost the fight.

"You remember last Christmas, when we all went to that ice-skating rink?" he asked her, never looking up.

Jackie frowned at the floor. "Yes."

"I spent the whole night watching you."

Out of the corner of his eye, Hyde saw her look up, but he kept his head down as he continued.

He narrowed his eyes, and frowned at the lights as they circled around him, the music muffling in his head as he called back that cold night. "You were wearing all white…" One glance at her and his throat would close up. "I couldn't stop looking at you, Jackie…All I kept thinking was that I couldn't believe how beautiful you look in white."

Her hand rising to her mouth, Jackie began to sob. He wasn't sure why.

"I was jealous of him." Hyde grimaced, remembering. "He hadn't screwed up with you. He wasn't a stupid kid, trying to act like he didn't care, when he met you. He was smart about it and deserved you more than I ever did…I was jealous… I'm _still_ jealous." Hyde finally allowed himself a look at her, remembering how she smiled as she spun and spun over the ice and how she laughed at the sky when Colin pulled her down to its surface. "I never made you that happy."

"Yes, you did…You tried."

"Not enough obviously." He could admit that much.

Jackie looked down. "Did I make _you_ happy, Steven?"

Hyde laughed silently then, a little enamored by her ridiculous question. She was cute when she was attempting humility. "Yeah," he reassured her. "Everyday."

A sob threatening to erupt, Jackie looked up. "I'll be back, Steven," she tried to assure him. The inflection in her voice, though, sounded skeptical to him. She didn't entirely believe what she was saying. "I just need to talk to him… I owe him that much, don't you think?"

She looked into his blue eyes. They were raw, and infinite, and why he frequently wore his sunglasses. He always claimed it was to hide his bloodshot eyes or the bright Wisconsin sun – a humorous lie – but she always knew. They shielded _him_ from the world, not the other way around.

Jackie blinked a few tears away and touched his cheek. "I don't regret you if that's what you're thinking. I don't regret Halloween or the last month or last night. Any of it. I'm glad it all happened. I wouldn't change it, Steven, but you have to let me go." She shook her head and looked around herself, busy in thought before she returned her eyes to him. "I'm going regardless."

She stared at him, trying to gauge his reaction, but got nothing. So she turned around to leave.

"Wait." Hyde grabbed her arm. His chest shook. "Stay with me... Please." He could hear the pathetic desperation in his voice, and his breath catch somewhere within his next, unprepared breath. It made him cringe. But his eyes groveled anyway… pleaded with her. "I love you."

"Oh, Steven…" Her hands touched his cheeks. "I know you do." Her eyes studied him, locking this newest face into memory. "I'll be back," she whispered weakly and kissed his lips as a thick teardrop rolled slowly down her cheek and then dangled from her jaw before falling away, and Hyde knew, right then, that she wasn't coming back.

Hyde stared at her as she pulled away. He watched her smile—that truly happy smile he remembered from Christmas.

So he let her arm go. That smile suited her. He only wished he could claim it as his own.

Deflated, he stepped back, unable to wipe the dismay from his face as he swallowed, dangerously close to grabbing her and forcing her to stay.

Jackie stepped back, too. A thankful, and amorous, smile cut through her gaze on him before she finally turned and ran away.

Hyde returned to his marble floor in shock. He breathed. In and out. Softly. Evenly.

Frozen.

"Where's Jackie going?" he heard Eric step up next to him.

"To Colin's," Hyde somehow managed.

"When's she coming back? Kelso and Brooke are leaving and Christie wants everyone outside to see her present to them. She said she called in some favor from an old friend. I hear it's pretty cool."

"She's not."

"What?"

Frowning, Hyde turned his head toward his best friend, avoiding his eyes. "How was I supposed to know?" he asked casually.

His frown deepening, he stared back at the double doors that were slowly closing behind Jackie.

"I was just a kid. How was I supposed to know that…_she_ was it?" He grimaced. "That it wasn't going to get any better than her? She was out of her mind half the time. She was…constantly nagging me about this or that, always…following me around…"_Steven_"...making me nuts." Hyde paused, a breath releasing as he gave up his tirade. He had loved her regardless. Maybe it was even _why_ he loved her – she had given a damn.

Eric's body withered as he put together what had Hyde nearly catatonic. "Man, Hyde, I'm sorry." He put his hand on Hyde's shoulder. "You tried. That was all you could do…You and Jackie were screwed from the start. We tried to tell you that. It was just too much to fix, man…At least Colin's not a bad guy."

Hyde nodded slowly, sure that he had tried…maybe not at the level of a Colin or a Forman or even a Kelso…but for him, Hyde, he had tried to hold onto her. Jackie walked away knowing that he loved her and that he wanted her to stay with him, to be his. That was his only victory. And it was big. For them, anyway…

* * *

Ten Minutes Later

Jackie ran though the cold, her breath clouding in front of her as her cheeks flushed crimson. Her nose was near frozen.

"Watch out, dear. There's ice all over this parking lot. Don't fall."

Stopping, Jackie smiled and let out a massive, visible breath. The woman in front of her was bundled to the hilt, donned in a long red wool coat and hat to match. Not a single grey hair on her head looked out of place. "Oh. Thanks."

The kind-eyed woman looked Jackie from head to toe. "Well don't you look pretty."

Jackie laughed, causing an echo. "Yeah. I just came from my best friend's wedding."

"Oh, well…"

A loud boom cut off their conversation and both women looked up to the sky above Colin's apartment building, their faces lighting up as a bright white starburst split across the sky.

"Oh!" Jackie exclaimed, wide-eyed.

The woman beside her smiled. "Well I wonder what that's all about," she queried as another firework illuminated the night sky.

"I think… it's a gift," Jackie figured out loud, remembering Christie's hints throughout the long day.

"What a beautiful gift."

"Yeah," Jackie smiled. "Well, it was nice meeting you."

"Nice meeting you, too, dear...Be careful."

"I will," Jackie giggled. "Bye." She sauntered off toward Colin's apartment, using a mindful gait across the icy blacktop, tranquil as another firecracker exploded in the distance. What a beautiful gift, indeed…

* * *

At the deep end of the hotel's kitchen corridor, set uniformly between the seventh and twelfth candied wallpaper stripe, a white door creaked shut. Behind it, what remained of the basement gang folded their legs and sat down, forming a square. If someone had been listening from the outside, they might have heard the groaning, and the sighing, and the running hiss of Hyde straightening his legs out in front of him. But no one was listening. 

His head heavy, Hyde reflexively slouched against the linen closet's side wall, his face numb with dejection, his clothing—even though formal today—more disheveled than usual.

"Here you go, man." Eric offered his disconsolate friend a lighter and let himself fall back against the door.

"Thanks." Staring at his feet and holding the lighter in one hand, Hyde reached into his jacket pocket with the other, his fingertips finding the smooth, thin paper of a joint, rolled in average width and twisted into a taut point at each end. He pulled it out and weaved it slowly between his four long fingers, watching as it danced its dance for him.

He quickly slipped one end between his lips.

Donna sighed. "Hyde, we're really sorry."

Hyde grimaced, his head giving a quick shake as he flicked at the lighter, triggering flame. "No, you're not," he responded in muffle, breathing in his long-awaited smoke. "Look. I don't want to talk about it. Okay?"

"I think you should," Fez disagreed. "You hold way too much in, Hyde." He closed his eyes. "Just let it out," he breathed. "It's okay."

Hyde rolled his eyes and passed the joint to Eric. "I don't hold anything in."

"Oh, come on," Eric smiled. "Of course you hold stuff in. You're 'Hyde'," Eric waved his hands, amplifying the implied meaning behind the title, "That's _what_ you do."

"Can't you at least admit that you're sad?" Donna joined in.

"Of course I'm sad," Hyde admitted brusquely. "My entire life went to hell in one month. I think I even beat Bud's 1967 summer record…Took him two months to lose his job, leave his wife and kid, and wind up in jail for petty larceny, bunking with a Samoan guy named Big Deuce." Hyde grinned.

Donna cocked her head at him. "Come on, Hyde. He did those things to himself."

"Yeah, but don't you see? I did mine to myself, too." Hyde stared at his feet again, covered in the annoying shine of black patent leather. He frowned. "I had a pretty good life, you know. I had a record store. A hot girlfriend. I was happy. And I just screwed it all up…like that."

"Yeah, but Hyde, did you even love Jessica?" Donna asked him leadingly. "Obviously if you started an affair with…"

Hyde grimaced. "I'm not talking about Jessica," he said sneeringly. "I'm talking about Jackie. Until that..." He paused and blew out a slow, relaxing breath, and then another, before taking another hit off the joint that Eric passed him. "That night in Chicago." He cringed. "I should have stayed. Listened to her. I just took off. And then I just kept making it worse and worse so that I didn't have to deal with it anymore." He let out a short chuckle of disgust at himself. "It's no wonder she picked him."

Donna sat back, dumbfounded. "I just can't believe that she did." She, too, was now looking at her feet, decorated in patent leather, only white. "Jackie loves you. She always has." Shaking her head, she frowned at the memories that proved those words absolutely correct. "I mean, really, really loves you." Suddenly, she laughed. "We used to sit on Red's porch and she would write 'Mrs. Jackie Hyde' over and over and over again…" Her smiled withered, though, as Hyde looked up at her, further pained it appeared as his shoulders dropped. Donna winced. "Sorry."

Hyde looked back down and scoffed. "I'm not stupid. I know what you guys are thinking. I 'should have proposed. It's all she ever wanted.'"

"No, Hyde. That's the thing," Donna mused. "It's not all what she wanted. She just always wanted to be with you; I told you that."

Eric made a face. "Then why…I mean, I'm not going to lie. I don't get Jackie. It's like sticking sports equipment in front of me, I don't get it, and I don't care to. But…" He looked at Donna. "Look at him. They were fine until Colin pulls the diamond back out, and then she just leaves? What the hell?"

"Hey," Hyde cut in, his hand raised slightly off his lap. "Leave Jackie alone, alright. If…he's what she wants then…what the hell can I do about it? It's my own fault."

"We really are sorry, Hyde." Fez handed him the joint again. "Here. It'll make you feel better."

And it did. The velvety smooth smoke rolled into his lungs with that flavor that he recognized and loved. The taste saturated his tongue and nose. The high flooded his mind in a slow moving cloud of downy protection, coating over the sadness he was feeling as it called to him in heavy waves to just sleep and forget about her…

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

The Wedding Reception

5 p.m.

Donna waved Hyde over. "Come on, Hyde!"

Hyde shook his head. "Nah. I'm cool," he responded with a forced smile and sat back in his seat. "You guys go ahead…Limbo your little hearts out."

Fez pouted. "But we can't leave Hyde alone. He looks really sad."

"I do?"

"Yes." Fez nodded. "Like a sad little puppy."

Hyde made a face. "Man, just go. I'm fine." He raised his eyebrows to convince his friend. "Really. Go."

After some hesitation, Fez sulked away onto the flashy dance floor, leaving Hyde to his thoughts.

But not for long.

A petite brunette walked up to his table and sat down two seats away from him. Hyde looked over at her curiously as she gave him a diffident smile. It took a moment, but he thought he recognized her. He had seen her at the wedding. In the audience, on Brooke's side. She was about twenty, maybe twenty-one.

"So…where's your girlfriend?" she suddenly asked, gaining confidence as she batted her lashes at him and smiled.

Hyde raised his eyebrow, sighing his fatigue.

Great. She was flirting.

"Um…I guess I don't have one…" He forced a grin for the sake of his new friend's feelings, but became distracted as Christie passed by. "Hey!" He grabbed her hand. "Brooke asked me to give this to you." He pulled a large manila envelope off the table and handed it to her.

"What is it?"

"I don't know," he lied and returned to his original position. "Just open it."

Tearing the corner of her envelope, Christie peeked inside and frowned.

"Turn it upside down," Hyde called back to her without looking.

So Christie, confused but curious, did as Hyde suggested and watched a pile of confetti scatter to the floor. A small note followed. "I don't…" She kneeled down to look at each individual piece of scrap… numbers… names…results…her child's dismal future… ripped to shreds.

She started to cry as she read the short note, _'He's Michael's now_. _No one's the wiser."_

A few feet away Hyde smiled to himself. The day wasn't all bad…

* * *

One Hour Later

6 p.m.

…but the day, for all its intents and purposes, _was_ over. The bride and groom were long gone, headed toward their long-deserved honeymoon, but the party in their honor raged on. People danced and drank and laughed. It was a good day, a good party.

And at the edge of the dance floor, a large round table, covered in white linen, accommodated the remaining Point Place gang—Donna, Eric, Fez, Fez's girlfriend, and Hyde, all exhausted.

"Do you think now that they're married Kelso will still want to have me over for sleepovers?" Fez mused sadly.

"I'm pretty sure Sleepover Sundays are safe, Fez; at least for now," Eric smiled.

Fez beamed and relaxed. "Yay."

As everyone prattled on about nothing, beside them, Hyde hung his head and sucked in a deep breath, attempting to gather what energy he had left to get up and go home to his empty apartment. He just wanted to sleep now, and hopefully, once he crawled into bed, unconsciousness would come quickly to spare him from having to lie alone for too long.

Then a breeze.

And a light sigh.

"Where are Brooke and Michael?" Hyde heard come smoothly beside him. "Oh, my God, did they leave already?!"

And in the strangest, most bizarre moment of his life, Hyde blinked slowly, his thoughts indistinct as something gentle and slight touched his right shoulder. He turned his head. Light-pink-painted fingernails became delicate fingers, and coming into focus, just beyond the smooth, porcelain skin of her wrist, was her angelic face, peering at him in question.

"Did I miss them leaving?"

The sound rushed into his ears with quiet ease.

Hyde stared incredulously… awed by her.

"Steven." Jackie frowned at him and glanced around the table at her friends who offered little more than the same stunned expression as Hyde's. "What? What's going on?"

Eric and Fez both smiled, a quiet laugh shaking their shoulders as they looked at each other.

Donna smiled, too. "You came back," she said quietly, stunned, her eyes still gleaming from her fading disbelief.

Jackie's lips slanted in confusion. "I said I would… Didn't Steven tell you guys? Did they leave already?" She turned to Hyde, somewhat miffed. He was still staring at her. "Steven."

His mouth hung open dumbly, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by the rest of the table.

The smiles around Jackie and Hyde grew satisfied as everyone watched Jackie's shoulders fall, unaware, as she took a longer, more thoughtful, look at Hyde and became distracted with him, as she typically did.

"Oh, baby. It was so awful," Jackie suddenly pouted, shifting her train of thought as her small body moved onto Hyde's lap. She laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm just glad I'm back here with you and it's finally over."

Hyde placed his hands on the small of her back, inspecting.

"I missed you so much today," he heard her whisper.

She was real.

Relief wrapped around him like a warm blanket, and he closed his eyes, his grateful arms closing and pressing her into him as he exhaled a half-decade's long breath. It was immediate, the feeling, the comparable difference between how he'd felt only minutes before and how he felt now, the emptiness, the coldness, versus _this_. This exhilaration. This euphoria. There was no contest.

Hyde hugged her tightly. He didn't want to ever feel that other way again. Ever.

"He was so sad when I gave him his ring back," Jackie muttered softly, shaking her head, nearing tears as she played with a single flap of his unknotted bowtie. "But I told him…he would only be second choice and that would only have been if you hadn't wanted me. But you do. I know that sounds terrible, but…I learned from you, Steven, that sometimes, as fun as lying is, telling the truth is better, no matter how much it hurts… But God, his face when I told him that I was still so in love with you. Steven, it was terrible. I felt so guilty. I cried _so_ hard, it made Donna's cheap, fifty-cent mascara that I had to borrow get all clumpy. I just kept forcing myself to think about the fireworks I saw…You were seeing them, too…You were with me."

With that, Jackie exhaled and sat up, sorrow in her eyes still as she waited for Hyde to respond somehow, to soothe her, raising her eyebrows when he did little more than shift his eyes between hers.

"Steven," she prompted.

Hyde frowned curiously. "You came back."

"Well, yeah. I told you…" Her face fell flat. Her lips tightened, scolding him. "Steven…Did you think I wasn't coming back?"

"I...I didn't know."

Jackie's bottom lip popped out as her face buttered with sympathy. "Ohhh…" She cupped his cheeks. "You're so stupid, Steven," she accused and moved her lips to his, kissing them. "I told you this morning I would never leave you again, didn't I? Steven…I didn't love him the way I love you. I never have." After watching Hyde a moment, Jackie blew out a breath, growing sad at his still confused, or maybe it was still disbelieving, expression. "God. Do you have any idea how much I love you, Steven?"

She stared at him then, her eyes pleading for a response.

"I think I do now," he realized.

Jackie smiled and let out a sigh of relief.

Neither noticed as their friends silently gestured to each other to retreat and stood up, making a beeline for the dance floor in pairs.

Unaware that they were alone now, unaware of anything, Jackie smiled lovingly at Hyde, tracing his lips with her thumb. "Thank you…for letting me say goodbye to him. I really needed to do that." She spoke at a snail's pace. "And I need you to keep being wonderful. Okay?"

Her smile straightened into a gentle pout, her eyes softened, slaves to the wistful emotion she was feeling.

"I need you to do everything you promised, Steven, because I need you," Jackie admitted ruefully. "I realized this morning that I can't live without you…For a split second, I thought you weren't there and it crushed my heart. But you were," she smiled again. "You were right there next to me, sleeping."

Jackie pressed her palms to his warm cheeks. He stared back attentively.

"I'm so sorry, Steven." Her eyes sputtered around the room as she shook her head, the exasperation she felt for herself tangling her thoughts. "I was being so horrible to you this past couple weeks…and today…I…you never left me, though." Short of breath, she pressed her lips to his, giving him a potent kiss, wooing his eyes to close. "I love you so much," she whispered and smiled deliriously against him, struck by a feeling of utter elation, of inexplicable euphoria. "I will always love you, Steven… So just be good… No more hurting me. Okay?"

Opening his eyes, Hyde finally smiled, a gesture born from pure intoxication, from love, as his mind relaxed, beginning to accept that she was safely his. "Okay."

Why she was, he couldn't fathom, but he was not going question his dumb luck. He would simply take her home, thankful to those that had cared for her in his absence, and love her as hard as he could, his Tangerine, his chick.

Hyde grabbed her face and kissed her softly before pulling away to look at her. "Hey," he murmured, his fingers slipping a little deeper into her curls. "Thanks for not ditching me."

"You're welcome," Jackie laughed and kissed his lips, perking up. "So you want to dance with me?" Her eyes pleaded sweetly.

"Absolutely." Taking her with him, Hyde got up, unusually energized as he inhaled deeply and grabbed her hand. "Oh. I have something for you," he said as he pulled her through the dense crowd of guests.

"For me?"

Reaching the middle of the dance floor, Hyde turned around. "Yep."

Jackie gasped. "Are you going to ballroom dance with me?"

"No." Hyde tugged her toward himself with a smile, sending her crashing into his chest. And to the beat, he gently swayed her. "Better."

Growing intrigued, Jackie beamed. "Well, what is it?"

It wasn't how he had planned it, but then again, he hadn't really planned any of this, had he? It was dumb and cheap and beneath her, but it was all he had had in the middle of this dance floor, five long years after this decision had been made.

Hyde licked his lips. Against his heart, her hand rested, and he raised it slightly to his lips, kissing the tip of her now-bare ring finger before clutching his teeth around his own right pinkie.

"Are you going to draw on my finger again, Steven," Jackie teased.

"No… worse," he grinned and slipped on her finger a faded silver ring, crowned with a single blue eye. He'd never taken it off before, and now, he stared at the way it hugged her. The cheap eye ring was temporary, but the promise beneath its dull finish eternal. "Just till I can get to a jewelry store." He looked up with apprehensive eyes, waiting for her to sneer, or yell. "I know I'm a little late, but…I'm gonna give you everything you want, Jackie. I want to. Just…stay with me. Okay? That's all I'm asking."

Jackie's expression sobered. She looked pissed, briefly horrified, until a staggered, teary smile slowly illuminated her face, giving Hyde some relief.

She touched her other hand to her lips and didn't say a word, returning to their dancing position instead. She was going to make him do this right, that was for damn sure, but at his pace, and he would get his single word then. For now, her heart fluttered incessantly in her chest as he swayed her to the music.

_If I could make a wish I think I'd pass  
Can't think of anything I need  
No cigarettes, no sleep, no light, no sound  
Nothing to eat no books to read_

Jackie smiled blissfully against his neck. Who knew, who really knew, why she and this boy, this ornery stray, were connected so powerfully in this life. All Jackie knew for sure was that his heart was the only compass hers wanted to follow. It guided her down an unknown path. Sometimes the sky stormed and darkness descended, veiling her precious compass and making the journey seem hopeless, and then sometimes, when their path would re-converge with fate, the dark clouds would lift, the rain would cease, and she and her compass would shine brightly again, having been washed clean.

Hyde bit at her ear then, and groaned, and she had to laugh. "I want to get you home," he murmured warmly.

Jackie giggled again.

"I've been having sick…_sick_…thoughts about you in this dress all day." Amused with himself, Hyde kissed her ear and the back corner of her jaw.

"You know… It just started snowing outside… It's co-o-old," Jackie responded in a sultry rasp. "I'll bet my…our bed is nice and warm, though."

Hyde leaned back, frowning. "It's snowing?"

"Mm-hm."

_Sometimes all I need is the air that I breathe  
And to love you  
All I need is the air that I breathe  
And, yes, to love you_

A blithe, sleepy grin spread across his face as it suddenly, and slowly, began to close in on hers. Still, he continued to sway her body in the sparkling darkness, surrounded by a deep sea of jovial wedding-goers, all dancing, too, unaware of Jackie and Hyde, oblivious to the way they stared at each other, as most were.

Her eyes set on his mouth, Jackie blinked slowly, able to feel the heated tickle of his breath as his lips continued to descend on hers. Reflexively, her hand squeezed his upper arm. Their movement slowed to near stillness while she stored away the desire to tell him she loved him in the back of her throat.

They had all night for that.

"You know what that means, right?" Hyde released in one fluid exhale.

His lips parted a little more, hovering less than an inch above hers.

"What?" Jackie sighed drowsily, her eyes closing as she waited impatiently for his debilitating kiss.

"It finally stopped raining..."

_Sometimes all I need is the air that I breathe  
And to love you  
All I need is the air that I breathe  
And, yes, to love you…_

_The End._

* * *

**A/N2**: I'm crying as I write this. Haha. I'm SO lame, I know, but this story was my baby and it's all grown up now... A very short epilogue is coming in a few days. Thanks again for staying with me and trusting me. Please review. I put a lot of work into this and I live for feedback. Love to you all... 


	33. Epilogue

**Epilogue – At Last**

**A/N:** This is my last JH story. And the last three words: they mean _everything _to me. So…**Jackie and Hyde Forever** and don't ever forget it. Peace, my babies…

**Music: **

R.E.M. – It's the end of the world (as we know it)

* * *

…**Just**_** one**_** fleeting moment in time…**

* * *

**October 31, 1988**

"Give me your hand, my lovely. I will kiss it…soft…slow…_smooth_. That is nice, yes? I thought so…"

"Fez?"

"Yes, my tulip?"

"Who are you talking to?"

Fez blinked. It did nothing to help his blindness. This hallway was blacker than black could ever hope to be, the blue strip of landing lights below long gone. And she sounded so far away.

Curious, Fez smoothed his thumb over the cool fingers at his lips. "Cheryl?"

"Yes."

He chuckled nervously. "Well you are very good at throwing your voice."

"I'm not throwing my voice, Fez."

A few feet away, Kelso narrowed his eyes. "Fez, who are you kissing, man?"

"What do you mean?" Fez frowned. "I am kissing Cheryl, of course. Right, my lovely?"

The neon blue lights returned and Fez's eyes widened at the hideous face that stared back at him. Cloudy cerulean eyes went unblinking.

"You're not Cheryl," he muttered shakily, still holding the creature's pale hand.

"Oh, my GOD!" Donna screamed hysterically, the gruff sound carried by a suddenly-panic-stricken Brooke. Both took off running down the hall. Behind them, Fez's date followed, screaming.

The unsightly white-haired woman in Fez's face began to scream, too, but her ghastly shriek was unnatural and excruciating to everyone's horrified ears.

Eric covered his ears in pain.

His eyes wide with fear, Kelso pointed. His screech was ear-splitting. "It's the ghost lady of the third class corridor! Run! Fez! RUN!"

"Ahhh!!" Fez shouted and took off running behind Eric and Kelso.

Arriving first, Brooke slammed into a wall at the far end of the hall and began to feel her way around the dark blue haze. "Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" Donna was also abruptly halted by the wall beside her, followed, of course, by Cheryl.

At a realization, Brooke's face grew horrified. "There was supposed to be a stairway here, right? Did we go the wrong way?"

"Crap! Did we?" Her eyes wild with concern, Donna began to feel her way around, too. All three women screamed and jumped, suddenly stuck by moving bodies. "Ahhhh!!"

"Ahhhh!!" the boys screamed back.

"Well_ MOVE!_ Why are you all stopped?!" Kelso demanded angrily.

"There's no where to go, Kelso!" Donna yelled back.

"This is bad." Eric's face soured with concern. His head shook, his lips curled down like a mackerel's scowl. "It's too dark, you guys. I can't see my own hand in front of my face."

"It's not in front of your face, stupid," Brooke snapped.

Eric raised his hand. "Oh."

"I think we went backwards," Fez announced.

"Well, where is that ghost lady?!" his date asked everyone, still fraught with alarm.

Huddled together, all six froze and frowned—having momentarily forgotten what they were running from—and slowly turned around as a group.

His face scowling with resentment, Fez shook his head. "Oh, _'Come to the haunted ship, Fez. We'll have a few drinks and dance. It'll be a hoot'_. And now I am going to die!" His mouth grew rigid. "I hate all of you."

Kelso swallowed. "Okay, one of you is just going to have to sacrifice themselves for the good of the group, and as a member of said group, I would just like to say 'thank you' in advance."

"Uh-uh. No way. I'm not sacrificing anything, Kelso!" Donna glowered at him.

Brooke shook her head. "Well, I'm not doing it."

"Yeah. Me neither," Eric concurred vehemently. "You're the cop, Kelso."

"Which is exactly why I should be protected so that I can _then_ protect the rest of the community when we safely get out of here!"

Eric shoved Kelso forward toward the dark, shadowed outline of the 'ghost' who faced them in showdown maybe forty feet away. "Just distract her, man!"

"What? Why me?"

"Michael!" Brooke ordered.

"Fine! I'll do it… Big, stupid babies. But you're all buyin' my beer!" Kelso took a few stomping steps forward and then launched into a full speed run toward the woman, screaming, his arms flailing.

"Go! Go! Go!" Eric yelled at everyone as they all began to run.

"Ahhh!!"

…_Save yourself. Serve yourself  
World serves its own needs. Listen to your heart bleed._

_Dummy with the rapture and the revered and the right - right.  
You vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright light, feeling pretty psyched!_

All six slammed into the far wall with a loud thud and several groans. The sounds of the ballroom loomed up ahead as Eric shoved the tethered group through a doorway that led to the stairwell they remembered.

"Go! Go!"

"Before she curses us again!"

_It's the end of the world as we know it.  
It's the end of the world as we know it…_

Inside the Grand Ballroom, Jackie looked from left to right, then back again, and then did it again, her head resembling something of a sprinkler head in mid-summer.

"Where are they?!" she demanded, stamping her foot. "It's been _well_ over an hour!"

"Will you relax," Hyde snapped at her for probably the hundredth time since arriving, sitting up in his seat as he stared at her posture intently. "They'll be here...Now sit down, before you get yourself worked up again!"

Turning, she stamped her foot again, this time at him. "Yeah, but, it's been…"

"Jackie," Hyde growled.

_It's the end of the world as we know it.  
It's the end of the world as we know it.  
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine…_

But she wasn't listening; instead, her eyes widened as she turned and saw her friends—looking unkempt and out of breath, but laughing as they walked briskly through a break in the crowded dance floor.

"There they are! Where have you guys been?!" Jackie demanded irritably as they approached. "I'm been trapped here with Mr. Stick-in-the-Mud all night."

"We got here as fast as we could," Donna assured her.

"Man, we ran into that ghost lady again," Kelso exclaimed. "It was awesome!"

Jackie began to hop and clap, the red and white 'Sandy from Grease' cheerleading costume she wore flouncing with her—her ponytail swinging. "Well, I wanna dance!"

"NO!" Hyde stood up and pointed at her. "Jackie! Damn it! You promised!"

"Yeah, well, I lied." Jackie stuck out her tongue.

Sidestepping Hyde's glower, the rest of the gang sat down around the table, grateful for the drinks that were already waiting for them. Chatter began about the last hour's adventures as Jackie stood by, incredulous, holding out her arms.

"Hello! Dance floor!"

Brooke shook her head apologetically at her friend. "I'm too tired and thirsty right now to dance, Jackie... Plus, I'm terrified of what Hyde will do to me."

"Me, too," Donna admitted as everyone else nodded. They were all terrified.

Jackie's eyes narrowed into tiny, angry slits. Her hands balled into fists. "Steven!"

"Nope," he responded from his chair, seated as smug and casual as could be, his hands relaxed and crossed over his stomach. "It's not happening, Jackie, so just sit down before you explode all over the nice people dancing."

"This is the worst night ever. I don't see why I couldn't just go through all the mazes," she complained and stepped toward Hyde, who held his arms open for her.

The chair reserved for Jackie was wedged perfectly up against Hyde's so that she could rest her legs over his lap, and that's exactly what she did, falling between his arms comfortably.

"It's not that big of a deal," she grumbled quietly. "I'm fine."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "It's not _safe_, Jackie. I'm done talking about it."

Jackie folded her arms, pouting as she laid her head on his shoulder. His arm curled around her. "This is supposed to be our place."

"And it is," Hyde acknowledged as everyone listened, drinking their beers. "We did stuff in here, too, I think." He grinned. "Lots of stuff. Right?" He made a face at his friends, not really remembering much from their drunken night here four years earlier. He was searching for help.

"Yeah, you guys were making out and…" Donna frowned. "Oh, you danced," she suddenly recalled. "He danced with you."

"Whatever," Jackie mumbled scornfully, rolling her eyes. Hyde smiled beside her, rather enjoying watching her pout, as long as it was from the safety of her chair.

"So what happened here before, anyway?" Cheryl asked laughing, curious about why the_ very_ pregnant brunette she'd just met was so insistent on going through the mazes with everyone else.

"Well..." Donna took it upon herself to begin...

Cheryl sat for the next hour, extremely intrigued and keenly focused on the story set around the month of November, back in 1984, long before she'd met any of them.

"So whatever happened to Colin and Jessica?" she ultimately asked.

Jackie frowned over at Hyde, who didn't seem to be paying attention. "Well…I talk to Colin sometimes. He lives in New York. He's actually doing really well," she explained happily. "He has a girlfriend. He's happy. I think he's still a little angry with Steven, though. But I told him to just get over it, and whenever I say that he just laughs and says that it's not about me." Jackie laughed. "If Steven would just stop calling him Lucky Charms…" she directed scornfully at Hyde.

"When you stop calling him to see how he is, I'll stop calling him Lucky Charms," Hyde grinned, keeping his eyes on his activities, proving he was listening.

"I've called twice in four years, Steven." Jackie rolled her eyes as Hyde ignored her and continued his drinking game with his friends. "Anyway," she continued, returning to the female-only conversation currently dominating table. "Colin's fine and Jessica…"

Brooke smiled, jumping in. "I ran into her about…Mmm…" She had to think about it. "Two years ago?"

Jackie nodded.

"She actually lives here, in Chicago. But guess who I saw her with?"

Cheryl frowned. "Who?"

"Her fiancé, who is the…" Brooke frowned as Donna shrugged, unable to assist. Jackie was no help either. "Whatever. He's one of the players on the Chicago Bears."

"He is a mortal enemy of the Packers," Eric threw in disdainfully.

"She's a traitor," Kelso added, shaking his head with disgust. "I mean, she _knows_ how I feel about the Bears!"

"Yeah, and she hates Hyde," Fez laughed.

Hyde kept playing his game of quarters.

"She doesn't hate him," Jackie clarified to Cheryl. "She's way too nice to hate _anyone_."

Brooke was laughing, too. "Oh, she hates him, Jackie."

"Yeah, she does," Donna concurred, laughing as well. "What did she call him? A cheating…"

"Well she can just shut up then!" Jackie snapped angrily, rubbing her hand protectively over Hyde's forearm. "I never liked that bitch."

Everyone started to laugh, the mood and discussion lightening to matters of gossip that seemed more local, like the costumes of the people around them and delicious rumors from work.

Eventually everyone got up to dance, get drinks and socialize, but Jackie stayed at the table with Hyde, as she had promised. And he stayed sober, as_he_ had promised. They passed most of the time making fun of any peculiarity that came within eye range, making Jackie comfortable and placing playful kisses on each other's lips.

When the rest of the gang returned to the table, they wore curious faces for Jackie and Hyde, who sat one behind the other. Hyde's arms reached around Jackie as he rubbed circles across the sides of her over-stretched belly, his chin resting on her shoulder, hers on her chest.

Jackie scowled while she stared at his efforts. "The other way," she demanded quietly and watched him comply, Hyde turning his strokes counter-clockwise with gentle deliberation. She closed her eyes with relief. "Oh," she sighed. "That's a little better."

Behind her, Hyde's face was as serious as a heart attack. "You want me to keep going?"

Jackie nodded.

"What are you guys doing?" Brooke asked.

"Steven is massaging my belly," Jackie explained without looking up.

"Well, we can see that, but why?"

Jackie raised her eyes, irritated by the interruption. "Because it makes me feel better. Now go be skinny and _not_ pregnant and dance, bitch."

"Jackie!" Donna scolded and laughed at the same time. "You are the meanest pregnant lady ever. You realize that, right?"

Jackie ignored her and returned her eyes to her large baby bump. Her eyes clenched shut. "Ah. The bottom, baby."

"Are you sure you're alright," Hyde whispered to her, his expression one of concern as he stretched his arms further to gain access the lower section of her belly. "We can just go home."

"I'm fine," she responded quietly.

Brooke frowned. "Is she still having the Braxton Hicks?"

"I guess," Hyde shrugged. "She says she's having cramps."

Her eyebrows shooting up in intrigue, Brooke stepped closer and kneeled down beside them. "Is it like a tightening? Are they stronger than usual?"

Jackie shook her head. "No," she lied, determined to stay out tonight. It had taken her forever to get Hyde to agree to come. So here she would stay.

"Are you timing them?" Brooke asked Hyde quietly.

Hyde frowned in abrupt concern, never having thought that he might need to.

"No, he's not!" Jackie snapped. "Will you please just stop worrying? I'm seriously _fine_."

When Brooke sighed and stood up, Jackie craned her neck back to get her face as close as possible to Hyde's. She batted her eyelashes. "Can we please dance now? Please? Baby? Please? Pudding? _Please?_ " Hyde watched her with amusement. "Please? Please? Pleeease? Dance with me. Please?"

Hyde hesitated, blinking several times as he pondered. "One more time."

"Please?"

"Alright," he sighed and shook his head. "But if you start to get tired, or the cramps come back, you tell me. Got it?"

Jackie smiled with excitement. "I promise!"

As Hyde fought to wiggle out of the cramped chair maze he was trapped in, Jackie hastily jumped up, not minding her speed, forgetting her condition.

Everyone dispersing from different points around the table stopped at the sound. It was a whimper and then a gasp of air. They all turned around as Hyde looked up. Jackie was still, but suddenly crying now, silent, shameful tears, her expression shocked, limbs frozen in place. One arm was bent at chest level, the other held straight out. Only her eyes moved frantically, wide with horror.

Hyde wore the same expression. "What's the matter?"

But Jackie was in her own bleak world, sobbing quietly in place, still unmoving, still frozen.

"Jackie!" Hyde shouted over the music, trying to regain her attention. A million chairs, it seemed, stood between him and her quaking upper body. But it was only two. He tossed them out of the way to get to her.

"Stop!" Jackie shouted at him, raising one arm slightly in front of herself. "Don't come any closer!"

He came anyway and grabbed her face. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

The tears worsened at his sudden presence and Jackie was moving into hysterics between his hands, her expression still terrified.

"What the hell's wrong?!" Hyde shouted in frustration.

"I'm so em-em-embarrassed," Jackie sobbed quietly, almost incoherently, to only him. He had her eyes locked on his. His hands were blinders and she could speak, as long as they were alone. "I'm-I-I…"

"Shh…Okay," he whispered in a calm, soothing voice. "Just tell me what's wrong."

Jackie blinked and, fighting through his hold on her head, looked down, causing him to do the same.

Hyde twisted his foot and raised it from the yellow-tinted puddle of amniotic fluid that pooled below them. "Oh," he muttered, setting his foot back down. Letting relief calm him, relief that she was_ technically_ alright, he looked up at her humiliated face. "Okay," he nodded, finally understanding her reaction. "I'm going to fix it. Just stay here."

"Okay."

"Hyde, what's wrong with her?" Brooke asked from across the table.

"Nothing." His feet shifting aimlessly in his indecision, Hyde finally sighed and reached around Jackie's back to grab the two pitchers of beer from the table, taking them squarely into both hands as the rest of the gang watched in confusion. Without an explanation, he rotated his wrists and let the amber liquid spill everywhere around him and Jackie.

He grinned at Jackie.

Still frozen, Jackie watched the unsullied beer trickle and run, blending in with their baby's water. She blinked, and shuddered, feeling the curious eyes begin to turn on her. Fresh humility began to set in.

"Waitress, we spilled our beer," Hyde called out flatly to the girl walking by. She stopped, visibly irritated at the liquid mess beneath his feet—beneath the overturned pitchers locked securely in his fists—and pivoted in the other direction to get a mop.

As if time had _not_ stopped, the music continued vivaciously. The crowd continued to murmur and sway, paying little attention to the party foul at table number nine. In the middle of it all, Jackie stood unblinking, yet unable to process her surroundings. Distraught and exhausted, her already-overloaded body instead, and suddenly, began to sink, yielding to her embarrassment just as Hyde scooped her up, drawing her face up into his neck to hide.

Tears stinging her nose, she snuggled in and closed her eyes. "Just kill me, Steven." A fierce hold on his neck, she pretended they were home. In her mind, the music was simply the radio on a lazy Sunday afternoon; the curious voices she heard were the TV while they lay in bed, veiled in play beneath the covers. And Hyde, soft but strong, held her, maybe like the nights he carried her to bed when she would fall asleep on the couch. Yes, that was it. She was not here, and this was not happening. They were home.

"We're almost out," she heard him say.

"My purse," Jackie murmured.

"Brooke's got it," Hyde assured her as he closed in on the main exit. "Are you having contractions?" he breathed out precariously. He sounded more worried, more shaken, than she ever thought possible for him. "Does it hurt?"

Jackie wiped her wet cheek on his shirt. "No…Are we going home now?"

"You're going to the hospital."

"In Milwaukee," Jackie stated matter-of-factly. Underlying, though, was a question.

"No. Here," Hyde responded curtly. "We're not risking driving all the way back to Milwaukee."

"No!" Jackie raised her head. "Doctor Nick might not make it down in time."

Hyde's jaw tightened. "Then you'll just have a different doctor, Jackie."

"Steven!" Jackie wiggled angrily. "Put me down."

Reluctantly, carefully, but angrily, Hyde set her down in the middle of the hallway and held out his arms as the others stopped, too. He looked at Brooke. "What the hell just happened?"

"Her water broke."

"Yeah. I kind of figured," he snapped. "What does that mean, though? Do we have time to drive back to Milwaukee?"

Brooke sighed at Jackie. "Are you having contractions?"

"I told you I feel…" Jackie winced. Another sharp, aching pain tightened against the inside walls of her distended abdomen, and then quickly gravitated toward the center. Crap. They were getting worse. She really hoped they didn't see that. "…fine."

Hyde scowled, his eyes narrowing as he stepped closer to Jackie. His hands cradled her face gently but with enough strength to render her head immobile. "Jackie," he growled quietly, his eyes stern. "Are you having contractions or not?"

Jackie's face was unsure between his hands. "Not?"

"Jackie," Donna pressed from behind Hyde. Beside her, Brooke glanced at her watch. "We're all leaving regardless. So stop lying!"

Jackie gulped. Hyde's angry eyes still had hers locked. His palms burned against her cheeks. "I might be?" she amended nervously.

Dropping his hands, Hyde shook his head, his jaw and lips rigid as he fumed in front of her.

Jackie watched, fearing his reaction.

"How often are they coming?" Brooke asked her.

Jackie glanced between Brooke and Hyde, and then made a sweeping gaze behind them at the faces of her friends, her own temper suddenly flaring. "I don't know, okay!" She pushed Hyde's rising hand away. "Everyone stop staring at me like I'm a dancing cow or something!"

"Jackie, you're going to the hospital whether you like it or not!" Hyde commanded and seized her hand, stopping himself before he could absentmindedly yank on her. He sighed, calming himself. "Can you walk?"

Her obstinate expression unchanging, Jackie glanced around herself and then nodded. They all continued down the long hallway toward the boat's main atrium, the place where Jackie and Hyde had first began their flirtation four years before, where Jackie now stopped, refusing to take one more step.

"I need to clean up."

"Clean up at the hospital," Hyde grimaced.

"I want to clean up now! I'm not going in public covered in Steven Junior's water like this, Steven!"

Hyde sighed, automatically accepting of this particular defeat, and left her side to sit down beside his friends. "Go ahead then," he prompted calmly, his jaw tense.

As haughtily as her pregnant body would move, Jackie disappeared into the restroom, escorted by Brooke and Donna upon Hyde's silent cue.

Eric slapped his palm on Hyde's shoulder once the girls were lost from view. "You nervous, man?"

"Of course," Hyde scoffed as he stared at the women's restroom door. "Jackie complains for hours when her curlers are in too tight. _This_ is going to be my personal hell."

Kelso nodded, his mind only half inside the conversation as he glanced around the decorated tavern. "Yeah, I was nervous, too. Just don't look directly at it. I couldn't do it with her for months after…" He shuddered.

Hyde frowned. "No, you idiot. I'm talking about having to watch her in pain."

Kelso ignored him.

Shaking his head, Hyde began to glance around, too. He could hear his friends' garbled bickering, but he could not bring himself to listen. Jackie was on his mind. She seemed ready and consistently acted as if the whole thing was a walk in the damn park, her biggest concern tonight having something to do with the over-sized cheer sweater that she could not get to fit right.

But this was a baby, a real, live baby beneath that sweater, the baby he had given to her on an unusually-windy night in February, the very baby she had pleaded with him breathlessly for. He spent the eight and a half months since rubbing her stomach and watching it grow. He kissed it every night before bed and first thing every morning. And thus far, what lived inside seemed to be made of only the soft flesh of her abdomen. It rippled in the bathtub, their "baby", and in bed. Its shrouded presence caused Jackie to complain of heartburn and being fat, on occasion. But that was about it, for the most part. Other than that, it had been no trouble at all.

But now…a double hit. This mystery baby and hours of watching Jackie in pain. He had no idea if he was up for either. No idea if he could be their hero, as Jackie continually insisted he was. Yes. _She, _so far, was easy enough to please. His presence and love was all she ever seemed to need. But he knew everything would soon change, as would she.

"Hyde!"

The panicked call made Hyde look up with round, full eyes. He stood up. "What's wrong?"

"Just come in here!"

Hyde hurried into the restroom behind Donna. "What's the matter?"

"Something's wrong. She won't let either of us near her," Brooke complained fretfully, worry painting her face green as she pointed. "She's in that one."

Hyde banged on the stall door. "Jackie?"

"Steven," he heard Jackie cry. She was in pain.

Hyde pushed at the door, but it was locked. "Damn it, Jackie. Unlock it." All he heard was crying, and he stormed into the next stall to stand on the toilet seat and peered into Jackie's stall. She was leaning against the side wall, grabbing her pregnant belly, doubled over in pain. Quickly, Hyde pulled himself over the flimsy wall and dropped down inside with her.

"Hey," he whispered, more scared then he could ever remember feeling as he grabbed her face. "What's wrong?"

Tears were in her eyes. "It hurts."

"What hurts?"

"My stomach. I think it's real this time," she whimpered, almost startled. "They're getting worse, Steven."

Hyde glanced at his watch. The time revealed nothing. "Brooke? How far apart are they, do you think? I haven't been checking... Fuck!"

Meaning to comfort him, Jackie grabbed his waist and tried to hug him, but it was nearly impossible with seven pounds six ounces of baby between them. She squeezed the flesh at his sides, instead, as Brooke spoke from the other side of the door. "Don't worry, I've been checking. I think they're about seven minutes apart."

Hyde made a face. "Is that bad?"

"No, it's not bad. She just needs to go to the hospital. It's not going to come out in the bathroom, but we should try to hurry."

"Is it still going? The contraction?" Hyde asked Jackie. She shook her head. "Let's go then."

"No." Her voice was troubled.

"Why not? What's the matter?"

"I don't want to say," Jackie frowned. "I'm too embarrassed."

Hyde waited, his face spreading with dissatisfaction.

Eventually, Jackie sighed. "Fine...Will you help me?" She looked down. "Clean up, I mean. I can't bend over. I keep getting contractions. I feel like a disgusting…wet…_heifer_, Steven. God, it's a good thing I never got on the dance floor because I really would have been a big dancing cow!" Her eyes were soaked with tears, her expression locked in perpetual humiliation. "I feel gross and I don't want them to see me all wet and…I don't want the people at the hospital to think I'm…I don't want them to…" Jackie drew in a stifled, yet shaky, breath.

Hyde relaxed his shoulders. "I know. Okay." He placed his palms flat on the sides of her stomach and began to rub, a gesture he was becoming used to. "What do you need me to do?"

With some reluctance, Jackie handed him the paper towels she had soaked with warm sink water and felt a chill run through her chest. It was silly, really, of course he loved her unconditionally. But as he knelt down and removed the layers of wet clothing beneath her skirt, she wondered how he _could_ after this…love her. She played with his curls for a moment and then dropped her hand. "You think I'm gross now, don't you?" Her lips curled down into a pout.

Hyde didn't look up from what he was doing, wiping down the insides of her thighs. "No."

"You're never going to want to have sex with me again," she accused petulantly.

"Jackie." Hyde looked up and heaved an annoyed sigh. "Cut it out…Do you feel clean?"

"Yes," she whispered.

Satisfied, Hyde stood up, aware of the pout on her face. "Of course I'll want to have sex with you," he whispered, laying his hands on her cheeks again and kissing her gently. "I've always_, always_ wanted to have sex with you."

"I know, but that's when I wasn't dumping baby water all over dance floors." Jackie sniffled, tears threatening to return.

Hyde grinned amorously and moved his mouth to kiss a path along her jaw toward her ear. "Yeah, but that baby water that's all over the dance floor right now is from _our_ baby." He kissed her ear. "And that makes _you_ the sexiest chick in the world." Leaning back, he saw the disbelieving expression on her face. "Hey. It takes guts to dump your baby water all over a dance floor. I thought it was pretty bad ass."

Jackie rolled her eyes and fought back a smile.

"It was hot."

"Oh, shut up, Steven." Jackie knit her eyebrows at him, still a bit unsure. But his gaze was sweet, adoring, and it now lay lovingly on her stomach. He saw nothing else. And she felt beautiful.

Another contraction hit and Jackie winced in pain, moaning now at the intensity of it. "Oh, God. Steven."

"That was six minutes," Brooke announced.

"Crap. We've gotta go."

The drive to the hospital was surprisingly uneventful, especially considering that it was Kelso who insisted on driving while Hyde held Jackie through her pain in the middle seat of the van. As her contractions grew in intensity, his driving only became safer, more controlled. His nerves, though, were going haywire.

"What is this guy's problem!"

"Michael, calm down!" Brooke ordered.

"Michael, I swear to Go…ahhhhhhd!" Jackie yelled. "Steven!"

"We're almost there," he soothed before turning angrily to his friend. "Kelso! Stop freaking out and just get us there, man!"

"I am! God! It's these jerks on the road," he explained, looking in his rearview mirror at the long line of accusing headlights behind him. "Honking at me is not going to make me go any faster?!" he yelled out his window, the sounds of honking and angry yells making everybody more and more frazzled, especially him.

Within minutes, they reached the emergency room of Chicago Memorial Hospital, Eric, Donna, Fez, and his date following closely behind in another car. Inside the waiting room, the serene hospital colors and quiet atmosphere put everyone quickly at ease. The staff immediately brought out a wheelchair for Jackie and escorted her and Hyde to the admitting desk, after a few temporary farewells to their friends, who would eventually sit in the maternity waiting room, and sleep, waiting with controlled impatience throughout the long night.

The nurse rolled Jackie away. Though Jackie's eyes remained on Hyde longingly, knitting, beseeching him to follow.

"I'll be right there. I promise," Hyde hummed gently and turned with a scowl to the nurse behind the desk. "Hurry it up, huh."

The admission nurse gathered some paperwork and an empty chart, clicking her pen several times to work. Hyde grew impatient. "Her name, please," the woman finally said.

Hyde flexed his jaw. "Jackie," he sighed curtly. "Hyde."

"And your relationship to her."

"I'm her husband…Steven Hyde." His voice was tense. He could imagine how frazzled and upset Jackie was becoming without him. As the seconds slowly ticked away, as this apathetic nurse took her damn time, his nerves tensed, threatening to explode him into a rage. But it was for the staff on the maternity ward, for the nurse who wheeled his cantankerous wife away that he truly feared for.

"Her date of birth," the woman in blue scrubs continued, without giving him so much as a glance.

Hyde blew out a breath. "March twenty-first, nineteen sixty…"

Three floors up, and nearly twenty minutes later, Jackie opened her eyes—her chin tucked tightly against her chest—and smoothed two shaking hands over the gentle curve above her overstretched bellybutton. Dressed in a hospital-issued Johnny—dyed a hideous shade of seafoam green—she sat back against her pillow and closed her eyes. For a lifelong dream, this was awfully nightmarish. The pain was increasing in intensity with each contraction and only served to scare her further. She considered taking the medication nurse hostage several times, especially if that slow bitch didn't make this snappy.

Jackie flinched. Her body stiffened as the muscles in her abdomen clenched tight. Where the hell was her husband?! This was supposed to be a joyous freaking moment!

"Hey."

Jackie's eyelids flew open. "Oh, thank God!" With what of her wits she had left, Jackie smacked Hyde's chest before clutching at her belly again. "I'm only dilated one centimeter. Where were you?"

The pain in his face nearly matching hers, Hyde bent over Jackie, tentatively placing his palm to her forehead to sweep her hair away. "Getting you checked in. Apparently, you can't just walk in, push the kid out, and be on your way." He kissed her forehead.

"I can't do this."

"You said that about shopping for fat clothes."

"And I couldn't do it, Steven!" Jackie yelled as her most recent contraction broke off and disappeared. "Brooke had to buy my maternity clothes for me, remember?" Miserably, she dropped her head back on the pillow and wrapped her fingers around his. "All that searching for those pretty stockings with the little blue and pink unicorns and I end up in seafoam green," she complained.

Hyde frowned, pulling up her johnny dress slightly to study the polyester stockings that covered her feet and calves and knees, stopping at mid-thigh. He grinned. "I like 'em."

"You would," Jackie snarled and then sighed at his lack of a rebuttal. His face remained sweet. "I'm sorry, baby."

A few minutes passed and Hyde moved away from Jackie, walking around the room as he touched and eyed everything it had to offer. "There's a cot here for me," he noticed in the corner and chuckled. "We can't get away from them, can we?"

Jackie smiled. "It's our…" Hissing, she paused as another contraction throbbed through her abdomen. The pain was becoming what she once assumed would be unbearable. And even though, each time, she thought she could not tolerable a greater pain, each time she did. Her legs pushed against the mattress as her body squirmed. "God…I can't take it anymore! Steven!" she demanded as Hyde rushed to her bedside. She grabbed his shirt. "You get that bitch back in here and tell her that I am not waiting anymore. I want that shot!"

He nodded. "Okay."

Several minutes later, a female anesthesiologist smiled and began gently, pressing a firm but gentle palm on Jackie's naked back. Jackie, straddling Hyde on the edge of the bed, buried her face into his neck. "Alright, Mrs. Hyde, just relax and hold on to your husband. You're going to feel a mild prick in the middle of your spine and then some slight pressure. Please do not move until I say, alright?"

"Is it going to hurt?"

"It shouldn't be more than just pressure."

Closing her eyes, Jackie braced herself against Hyde, her fingers clutching the back of his shirt. "Okay." Her voice was muffled, her lips smashed against his shoulder. "Go ahead."

Hyde nodded, wincing as the anesthesiologist gave him the final gesture and then pierced his wife's spine.

Queasily, Hyde kissed Jackie's temple. "You alright?"

"I guess so."

"Okay." The anesthesiologist straightened up. "All done."

Jackie raised her head, pleasantly surprised. "That's it?"

"That's it," the woman smiled.

Jackie frowned at her. "It's not working. I'm getting another contraction right now," she winced, fighting to keep her scowl steady. "Do it again."

The anesthesiologist chuckled.

"Jackie. Give it a minute," Hyde said.

"She should lie down now and try to sleep," the lady in the lab coat advised, glancing at the clock. It read that it was past two in the morning. "You should, too. It's going to be a busy day tomorrow…for you both. And every day after," she laughed. "I assure you."

Hyde frowned and blinked a few times. "Sleep?" He received a head-tilting gesture from the woman that stopped him cold. It suddenly struck him that Jackie was quiet—a rarity—and felt a little heavier against his body. The woman walked out, leaving them alone.

"Hey," Hyde nudged his wife. "Jackie."

"Hmm?"

A smile lifting one side of his mouth, Hyde rolled Jackie's head back and studied her eyes. "You're high, aren't you?"

Jackie smiled deliriously. "I am… Oh my God, Steven, this stuff is great," she giggled. "We should take some home." Her eyes danced like a pendulum back and forth as she measured the sensation washing over her body. "I can't even feel my stomach. Is it still there?"

Hyde chuckled. "Lie down, loadie."

He laid her down and started to climb off the bed. "No," Jackie cried out, clutching at the back hem of his shirt. "Where are you going?"

"To my cot."

"No." Jackie shook her head, frantic, terrified. "No cots. Sleep with me. Please." Reeling him in by his t-shirt, she continued her plea. "There's room. We used to do it all the time, remember? Sleep on tiny little beds together." She scooted over to allow him room and yanked him down as best she could.

"Yeah, but we didn't have almost two feet of baby between us," Hyde argued, settling in beside her.

"I had you," Jackie smiled, snuggling in gleefully against him, "and you were almost 6 feet of baby." The light suddenly went out, and they heard the door shut. The room was silent while Hyde pulled the blankets up over them and tucked them behind Jackie. "Steven…Can I tell you a secret?" Jackie whispered.

"Sure," he whispered back.

"I'm scared."

Hyde laid his head back on the pillow, gently kissing her lips after a moment. "Me, too."

"You are?"

Hyde nodded.

"I don't think I know how to be a good mom," Jackie pouted, milking for another sympathetic kiss. "And we don't have the money for a nanny."

On cue, Hyde kissed her again. "We don't need a nanny."

"Good, 'cause we can't afford one."

"Well good 'cause don't need one." Absentmindedly, Hyde massaged her giant, numb belly, which was wedged securely between them. "You'll be a good mom, Jackie… We'll be fine."

"But what if it turns out like us. I can't handle another you. Or me! God," Jackie groaned, envisioning the possibilities. "I would kill it."

Smiling to himself, Hyde cleared his throat to respond. "I suppose that couldn't be _all_ bad, though. If it turned out like us. We turned out alright."

"Did we?"

Hyde frowned, thinking it over. "Well…We had parents that a one-legged prostitute wouldn't trade places with and we're still alright. I mean, we're…sort of normal. We're not serial killers or anything. That's gotta count for something right?"

"God, is that our only goal, Steven? That he's not a serial killer when he grows up."

"It's a good goal, Jackie," Hyde insisted. "Hey. You know how I know you can take care of a kid?"

"How?"

"You take pretty good care of me."

"You think I take good care of you?"

Hyde nodded. "Look at me. I've got a clean shirt on. My socks match. And I haven't once tried to tamper with that smoke detector up there."

After a moment, Jackie sighed and then yawned, feeling the warm pull of sleep. "Steven." She said it so quietly that he nearly missed it.

"What?"

"I'm glad you're Steven Junior's daddy," she told him softly, and in complete sincerity, the darkness making it easier to admit such weaknesses. "You're the only one I ever wanted for him."

Hyde smiled gently. "What happened to other names you picked out?"

"I changed my mind. I want 'Steven'."

"Jackie…Don't you think you screaming 'Steven' over and over for _one_ person is more than enough? I thought our goal was to not raise a serial killer?"

"No," Jackie stubbornly insisted, clutching onto his side to enforce her point. "His name is Steven… It's my favorite name in the whole world."

After thinking it over, Hyde blew out a breath. "Okay…I'll agree, on one condition."

"What?"

"You go to sleep. Right now. No arguing. At least while the pain's gone."

Jackie blinked, her lips forming a preemptive pout. "Will you stay right here?"

"Where else would I go?" he asked, kissing her forehead.

Satisfied, Jackie smiled and wiggled—as much as her swollen body would allow anyway—down deeper beneath her crisp hospital sheets, sighing once she was peacefully inside the warm protection of a very grown Steven Hyde. She could feel his breath saturate her hair, his lips puckering against the crown of her head. The air around her was tinted black with night, but the broad expanse of his chest made it even darker against her eyes. In no time, Jackie drifted, happy and content. This life was turning out to be more wonderful than any she could have ever dreamed up or fantasized, for this one was real and never seemed to end. At last…

Eight hours later—two of them being the most grueling of her life—Jackie sighed and closed her eyes again, exhausted and accomplished, her skin, for the first time in her life, glazed with the sweat of real effort, her body wilted with fatigue. Her eyes, too. But she could hear him let out another brief, demanding cry, and then, just as quickly, he stopped, a gentle, familiar hush breaking off the precious new sound.

"Hey," was all she heard, vaguely made in whisper, somewhere in the room. It made her smile, though she was still too tired to open her eyes.

Inside the bright, artificial light of maternity room 315, in the middle of Chicago, Illinois, and only a few feet from his wife, Hyde cradled a small head in his comparatively large hand.

His expression was curious as he tilted his head, looked into fresh, sky-blue eyes and smiled. Delivered. At last.

* * *

**A/N2:** Bye Jackie and Hyde. Be good to each other. Mwah.

**EDIT** - Delivered also means to be freed, or saved. :)


End file.
